Many folks have chosen buying, over leasing an auto over the last few decades. Be it for company write off or due to wanting to just be in the latest technology every three years, leasing was for a smaller select group of people as most folks buying an internal combustion or hybrid auto looked to maximize the purchase by owning the auto long-term.

Let's first take a look at the average life of an auto in the U.S., depending on your resource the average life of an auto in the U.S. is 16.58 years for the average auto, but some are done after only 12 years and some last 20 years. The full list of the 75 longest lasting models in the USA is here.

• Acura MDX on average last 19.1 years and 177,000 plus miles
• Buick Century on average last 23.9 years and 118,000 plus miles, but has one of the oldest age drivers
• Chrysler 300 on average last 17 years and 153,000 plus miles
• Ford F-150 on average last 20.9 years and 178,000 plus miles

As pointed out in the Popular Auto List, some of these models have lasted over a half-million miles and 20 plus years when well maintained. 

Yet with road conditions being very harsh in states that have hard winters, road salt takes its toll on an auto and can shorten an auto life, so this then brings up the life expectancy by state as another consideration. When you look at states that have the longest average auto life you find the following:

• Idaho - 19.7 years and 153,807 miles on average
• Montana - 19.5 years and 150,742 miles on average
• Wyoming - 19.5 years and 168,440 miles on average
• Oregon - 19.4 years and 172,925 miles on average
• Washington - 19.3 years and 167,855 miles on average

Key national averages from state, brand, model can be found here: 2024 list of long-life autos

So, at this point you might say why would I care about an EV lease when ICE lasts so long and it meets my needs?

Service and maintenance are two of the key factors in going EV over ICE. Lifetime maintenance costs of an electric vehicle are significantly lower as long as you aren't constantly burning the tires with all of that electric power.

The focus here is buying versus leasing an EV and with reputations at stake, most auto companies are building their EVs to last. So this brings up the next point, why lease? This would boil down to technology and the rapid change that is happening in the EV auto world. 

Software is one area that can incorporate upgrades and changes fast since an EV is a rolling computer in many cases, but there is still the speed of the computer network in the EV, braking, regenerating of power, performance, handling, etc. plenty of areas to show improvements in and in this regards, yearly we are seeing changes that could easily justify for many to lease an EV rather than buy an EV.

An example of this is the just released press release from BMW for their 2026 i4 line of EV Sedans.

BMW is rapidly upgrading their EV technology year to year and in their own press release they even point out the benefits of a 2026 over a 2025 I4 sedan by pointing out that the base i4 sedan now has over 300 miles of range no matter the rim size of wheels where range was penalized if you went with larger rims, now no more. The M60 which replaces the M50 for 2026 gains power. All this is thanks to new superior SIC inverters that have also been pushed out to all the other 2026 BMW EV models.

Then cost is another issue where many will say ICE costs less than EV. Here JD Powers and Associates posted the latest info on comparison pricing by brand and models and had this to say about the BMW 4 and i4 sedans.

The 2025 BMW 4 Series is priced between $63,925 and $84,622, while the 2025 BMW i4 is priced between $60,078 and $76,975. The BMW 4 Series has a higher resale value, losing 51.5% of its value over 5 years, compared to the i4, which loses 68.1% of its value. The i4 offers more interior volume and base engine power, making it a better choice for those prioritizing space and performance. Full details here

The 2026 i4 sedan in M60 trim produces 510 hp, up 41 hp over the M50 2025 model and in Sport mode produces 593 hp, up 57 hp over the M50 model. Also, for 2026, the base model now starts at $57,900 versus $60,078 for the 2025 model. If your are wondering what all the weight of an EV does to 0-60mph times, base i4 RWD is 5.5 seconds, move to AWD or xDrive and you're at 4.9 seconds and if you go with the M60 model your up to 60 in 3.6 seconds.

Currently the i4 sedan has leases starting at $399 a month for 10,000 miles a year at the time of this writing.

At this time, if you're a person into technology, wanting the best for the type of auto you wish to drive and you do not want to deal with all the maintenance that comes with an ICE auto, EVs offer many wonderful benefits and with improvements yearly, leasing is a solid way to go to stay in the current bleeding edge of automotive technology. With 95% of charging done at home based on having an L2 charger installed at home, one can also save considerably on the cost of fueling your auto.

Read our article about our experience with home charger installation.

Tariff Tuesday is the day where we cover how President Trump’s tariffs, if fully enacted, will impact the auto industry, increase costs, and limit consumer choice.  We started this series on April 15, Tax Day for those in the United States, because Trump’s tariffs amount to one of the largest single increases in taxes on the American People. The tariffs which, if fully implemented, will raise $1.4 trillion in revenue, and increase costs per household between $1,900 to $7,600 per year.

Manufacturers are shuffling their decks

Since the Trump tariffs have gone into place, automobile manufacturers have been rushing to shift production to avoid tariffs and reciprocal tariffs imposed by other countries.  This has lead to some breathless and inaccurate or incomplete headlines like:

Mazda set to stop U.S. production on this popular model. Here’s what that means for you - Daily Dot
First major auto manufacturer (Mazda) pulls plug on US production due to tariffs - MSN
Massive blow to Trump as Japanese car giant (Subaru) moves manufacturing OUT of US in tariff twist - Daily Mail
Trump tariffs cost U.S. millions as Subaru shifts supply to Japan - MSN

While some of the above articles explain the truth in the body of the stories, in these days of click-bait headlines, it is important that we don't bury the lead.

For both Mazda and Subaru, the production shifts are for vehicles built in the U.S. and bound for Canada.  Because of Trump's tariffs on imported vehicles, Canada placed a reciprocal tariff on vehicles imported from the U.S.  Going forward, Subarus sold in Canada will have a "Made in Japan" sticker on them. Prior to Trump's election, the popular Forrester model was slated start production in Indiana taking over allocation from the outgoing Subaru Outback. The new Subaru Outback Crossover is slated to be built in Japan, however that may change with the tariffs in place.  Unlike the domestic manufacturers, Subaru does not have multiple plants in the U.S. to move overseas production to  their Lafayette, IN plant.  The Subaru CrossTrek entered into production in the U.S. in 2023, only certain trimlines are made here with the base and premium trims still built in Japan.  It is likely that Subaru will shift all US Crosstrek production to Indiana. Subaru's sports car, the Subaru BR-Z, is unlikely to survive the tariff regime as we explained in our Sports Cars are Dead piece.

The Mazda CX-50 is the only Mazda model offered for sale in the U.S. that is built in the U.S in Huntsville, Alabama.  The Huntsville plant is a joint venture with Toyota who builds the Corolla Cross there as well. Mazda announced a pause in production of the CX-50 after the tariffs went into affect to regroup.  The plant had been supplying roughly 11,000 CX-50s to the Canadian market.  It is likely that Canadian CX-50s will be imported from China in future, though there has been no official word on that from Mazda yet. In a statement, Mazda says that overall production of the CX-50 at Huntsville should remain the same, meaning that factory's output will be entirely for the U.S. market.   It is likely that Mazda expects sales of the CX-5, a roughly similar sized crossover at a lower price and imported from Japan, will fall as the tariffs push the price above the CX-50's price.  It's also possible that Mazda sees opportunity for increased sales of the CX-50 being one of the few small crossovers built in the US.

Audi, which paused all imports in early April and has no production in the U.S., is looking to move production of certain models to Volkswagen's Chattanooga TN plant. The Audi Q4 eTron is built on the same platform as the Volkswagen ID.4 built in Chattanooga while the next version of the Audi Q8 eTron could join production of the new Scout truck and SUV at that brand's new plant in South Carolina.

The larger brands like Toyota, GM, and Ford have more flexibility to move production around.  GM in particular is looking to restructure its supply lines on trucks if the tariffs remain permanent, however, that does not necessarily mean a return to US production if they can prove enough of their sourced parts come from the U.S.

Playing the cards in their hand

Across the board, manufacturers are digging into their supply chains to tag parts made in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. In the new tariff requirements there is an exemption for raw materials and parts sourced from the U.S. in vehicles that have their final assembly in Mexico or Canada. Even with the supply-chain turmoil of the Covid-19 years, manufacturers do not have their parts content sourcing mapped to the raw material level. However, in order to qualify for that exemption, the vehicle must have 75-percent or more of its content sourced from North America. Calculating those savings correctly could make or break a model.

According to The Peterson Institute for International Economics, Mexican built vehicles already have an average of 40-percent to as high as 50-percent U.S. content. (Automotive News - Subscription Required).  Previously, an engine assembled in Mexico would be tariff free as long as some of the parts were made in the U.S.  Now, manufacturers have to calculate which parts come from where, where were the raw materials sourced, and how much value was added in a particular country in order to calculate the tax.

Unfortunately, even those calculations cost time and money manufacturers will pass an increase cost to consumers without an increase in value.

Gotta know when to fold'em

One of the many reasons cited by Trump for imposing these tariffs is to correct what he sees as an unfair trade imbalance between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.  Setting aside the fact that Canada has the same size population as the State of California and as such there would never be balanced trade between the U.S. and Canada, the unintended consequences are the reactions by auto manufacturers are making the trade imbalance worse with at least roughly 40,000 fewer U.S. built vehicles being exported to Canada and the remainder scrambling to prove their content sources to avoid the Trump tariffs and leave production in Mexico or Canada.  Any trade imbalance is not going to be fixed by Audi moving a few low volume products to existing U.S. factories.  This works out to a net loss for the American consumer.

Read more Tariff Tuesday articles below:

Tariff Tuesday - Big Trouble in Little Crossovers
Tariff Tuesday - Buick Killing it in China; Killed in the U.S.
Tariff Tuesday - Sports Cars are Dead

Tariff Tuesday is the day where we cover how President Trump's tariffs, if fully enacted, will impact the auto industry, increase costs, and limit consumer choice. We started this series on April 15, Tax Day for those in the United States, because Trump's tariffs amount to one of the largest single increases in taxes on the American People. The tariffs which, if fully implemented, will raise $1.4 trillion in revenue, an increase per household of $1,900 to $7,600 per year.

Last week we discussed Buick's Tough Spot - Killing it in China, Killed in the U.S. and one of our readers brought up an excellent point:

Quote

The Envista and Encore GX hit the sweet spot of small SUVs at under $30k, but the tariffs would wreck that formula. Although the Kia Seltos, Hyundai Kona, VW Taos, are all imported too and would suffer the same problem.

Big Trouble in Little Crossovers

The little crossover segment is one of the hottest and most competitive segments in the industry. So much so that even before tariffs, a few models were already driven from the market without replacements. The Fiat 500X, Jeep Renegade, Nissan Rogue Sport, and Ford EcoSport were all models competing in this segment in the U.S. that just couldn't quite make it and were canceled after a single generation, though the Jeep Renegade lives on in other markets.

The commentator above is right. With few exceptions, nearly all of the little crossovers available in the US are imported. Because there is a lot of fuzziness in the size of vehicles in this class, for this list we will generally be looking at the smallest crossovers a particular brand offers. We are also including vehicles regardless of price as the tariff impact in this size class appears to transcend price.

Where Are Small Crossovers Built?

Acura ADX - Mexico

Alfa Romeo Tonale - Italy

Audi Q3 - Hungary
Audi Q4 eTron - Germany

Audi has indicated they may move production of some models to the U.S., likely through partnership with parent company Volkswagen and their production facility in Tennessee. Audi has paused all imports of their vehicles to the U.S. due to the tariffs and is holding vehicles already in the U.S. at ports.

BMW X2 - Germany
BMW X3 - United States

Buick Envista - South Korea
Buick Encore GX - South Korea
Buick Envision - China

Cadillac XT4 - United States (model canceled)
Cadillac Optiq - Mexico

Chevrolet Trax - South Korea
Chevrolet TrailBlazer - South Korea
Chevrolet Equinox - Canada
Chevrolet Equinox EV - Mexico

Dodge Hornet - Italy

Ford Bronco Sport - Mexico
Ford Maverick - Mexico
Ford Escape - United States

Genesis GV60 EV - South Korea
Genesis GV70 - South Korea

GMC Terrain - Mexico

Honda HR-V - Mexico
Honda CR-V - United States

Hyundai Venue - South Korea
Hyundai Kona - South Korea
Hyundai Ioniq 5 - United States as of 2025 model year to take advantage of EV Tax Credit eligibility from the Biden Inflation Reduction Act. Eligibility for the tax credit is still in limbo.
Hyundai Tuscan - United States

Infiniti QX50/QX55 - Mexico

Infiniti has announced they have suspended all new orders of these models in the U.S. due to Trump's tariffs. The models remain in production for other markets.

Jeep Compass - Mexico.

Kia Soul - South Korea
Kia Seltos - South Korea
Kia Niro - South Korea
Kia Sportage - United States
Kia EV6 (exc. GT) - United States as of 2025 model year to take advantage of EV Tax Credit eligibility from the Biden Inflation Reduction Act.
Kia EV6 GT - South Korea

Range Rover Evoque - United Kingdom
Discovery Sport - United Kingdom

Lexus UX - Japan
Lexus NX - Canada
Lexus RZ - Japan

Lincoln Corsair - Mexico
Lincoln Nautilus - China

Maserati Grecale - Italy

Mazda CX-30 - Mexico
Mazda CX-5 - Japan
Mazda CX-50 - United States

The Mazda CX-50 is produced in the United States, and until the tariffs, was exported to the Canadian market. Mazda has since shuffled production and will now supply the Canadian market from Japan.

Mercedes-Benz GLA - Germany
Mercedes-Benz GLB - Mexico
Mercedes-Benz EQB - Hungary
Mercedes-Benz GLC - Germany

Mini, Mitsubishi, Porsche - Austria, Japan, and Germany respectively

Nissan Kicks - Mexico
Nissan Rogue - United States

Polestar 2 - China
Polestar 3 - United States

Rivian R2 - United States (not in production yet)
Rivian R3/R3X - United States (not in production yet)

Subaru Crosstrek - Japan and starting in 2024 United States for select trims
Subaru Forrester - Japan

Tesla Model-Y - United States

Toyota Corolla Cross - United States
Toyota RAV-4 - United States and Canada

Volkswagen Taos - Mexico
Volkswagen Tiguan - Mexico
Volkswagen ID.4 - United States

Volvo EX30 - China
Volvo EX40 - Belgium
Volvo XC40 - Belgium
Volvo C40 - Belgium

The Impact on Consumers

Of this list of 70-ish small crossovers, only eleven models plus some versions of a twelfth are assembled in the United States. For the sixteen that are assembled in Canada or Mexico, they may possibly qualify for reduced or exempted tariffs if they can prove compliance with the USMCA. However, meeting the USMCA regulations is an arduous process for a product with as many components as a vehicle. A vehicle with a significant amount of components produced outside of the USMCA zone will likely fail to qualify for a tariff exemption. For example, a vehicle assembled in Canada may lose its tariff exemption if the steel used in its construction was purchased from China or the stamping took place outside of the USMCA zone. It's a complex process for manufacturers to calculate, and some, such as Audi and Infiniti are simply opting to stop shipments for now. It's likely that EVs built in Canada or Mexico that currently qualify for the tax credit from Biden's Inflation Reduction Act will also qualify for a USMCA exemption.

Some manufacturers are hit harder than others. Ford's recent smash hits, the Bronco Sport and Maverick truck are both built in Mexico and represent a significant portion of Ford's recent sales. Dodge, already struggling to move the Hornet crossover, will face significant price increases as it is not able to be exempted from tariffs via the USMCA. Toyota will gain an unusual prices advantage here with the RAV-4 and Corolla Cross being built in the United States, but can also afford to not discount prices much as demand will be higher.

All of the burden of Trump's tariffs trickles down to the consumer eventually. Consumers will either pay higher taxes on imported vehicles, pay higher prices for manufacturers to comply with the USMCA, or lose choices and supply with lost model availability driving up the costs of the remaining options on the market. For one of the most competitive segments of the auto industry, this signals a time of turmoil with consumers taking the brunt of it.

Last week, April 15th, Tax Day for those of us in the U.S., we started a new series called Tariff Tuesday. President Trump's tariffs amount to one of the largest single increases in taxes on the American People in history. The tariffs which, if fully implemented, will raise $1.4 trillion in revenue, an increase per household of $1,900 to $7,600 per year. Trump's tariff policies change daily, sometimes hourly, so as always, this information is correct for at least 15 minutes after publication. Each week we document the effects the tariff have or could have on the U.S. automotive industry. Last week we made the case that under Trump's tariff policies, affordable sports cars are dead.

Prediction: Buick — Killed in the U.S. While Killing It in China

Buick is in a bit of a pickle. The number of models they field in the U.S. has dwindled down to just four. In spite of the decrease in offerings, the brand has shown growth in recent years with a significant jump of 39% in the first quarter of 2025. It seems as though Americans were catching on to Buick's new offerings. Buick specializes in inexpensive but premium-feeling small and medium-sized crossovers with just the U.S.-built Enclave filling the large crossover spot. However, Buick's best sellers all come from overseas.

The Sales Numbers Tell the Story

The Encore GX is Buick's best seller with 58,239 units sold in 2024. The second runner up is the Buick Envista at 51,316 units. These two models account for more than 50% of all Buick sales in the U.S. Both models are built in South Korea. The Buick Envision is their third best seller (47,340) and accounts for about a third of all sales. It is built in China. The Enclave is their most expensive model. It is built in the US. 2024 sales numbers are distorted (26,400) as it was a model change-over year, but they have typically moved around 40,000 units a year.

What 25% Tariffs Do to Buick's Prices

The South Korean built Encore GX and Envista would face 25% tariffs, adding at least $6,000 - $7,000 to the base price of the vehicles. This pushes the roughly $24,000 Envista and $26,000 Encore GX base prices to between $29,750 to $32,500 respectively. The same currently goes for the Chinese-built Envision. While Trump has raised tariffs on most Chinese imports over 100%, vehicles and vehicle parts from China are under an exemption that keeps the tariff at "only" 25%. The base price of the Envision is $36,500 and with the tariff would likely go over $45,000.

While these imported Buick models are excellent values at their current prices and Buick routinely tops the reliability charts, such significant price increases push these models into territory they where not intended to compete in. At nearly $30,000, a base Buick Envista would have to compete with the much larger, more capable, and just as nice U.S.-built Honda CR-V.

Meanwhile, Buick Is Thriving in China

Across the Pacific, Buick is doing well in China. They have eleven models on sale today with six more coming on a new EV/PHEV/EREV platform showcased with the Buick Electra GS Concept. Buick and GM are making major inroads in the hot EV market their with 40% increases in EV/PHEV market share. They are also showcasing LFP batteries with faster charging technology than is currently available in the U.S. Buick China is so confident in their new platform, they are launching an entire sub-brand called Electra that will feature these six new models.

Could GM Shutter Buick in the U.S.?

We don't see how Buick can maintain its momentum in the US with massive price increases on its three most popular models that comprise most of their sales. Barclays estimates that GM will cease all imports from South Korea and China, totaling roughly 450,000 vehicles over multiple brands due to tariffs. Rather than on-shoring production, GM may just chose to shutter the brand in the U.S. entirely and let it live on solely in China. While Buick is no longer a major selling brand in the US, ending it removes choice and competition for American consumers. That increased cost and loss of choice are tied directly to the Trump tariffs.

Buick isn't the only brand feeling the squeeze — as we explored in our next Tariff Tuesday, the entire small crossover segment faces big trouble since nearly all of them are imported.

We picked April 15th because President Trump’s tariffs amount to one of the largest single increases in taxes on the American People in history. The tariffs which, if fully implemented, will raise $1.4 trillion in revenue, an increase per household of $1,900 to $7,600 per year. Trump's tariff policies change daily, sometimes hourly, so as always, this information is correct for at least 15 minutes after publication.

Each Tuesday we will cover how these tariffs will impact the auto industry in specific ways and review the tariff news from the past week.

Prediction: Affordable Sports Cars are Dead

Sports cars, coupes, and convertibles, are already suffering from low sales as the market continues its shift towards SUV. Light and nimble, and full of fun, sports cars don’t fit into the aging American populace’s lifestyle.

There have been no two-seaters built in the U.S. since the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky went out of production in 2010.

The Mazda Miata, Nissan Z, Subaru BRZ, Toyota 86 all have 1% domestic parts content, meaning that if the car is not yet in the country, there will be an additional 25% tax added to the price.   For the Mazda Miata, the lowest price of the group, that brings the base price from $29,530 to approximately $36,912, a more than $7,000 increase.  Mazda only sold 8,103 Miatas in 2024, already a decline of more than 1,000 units from 2023. Adding $7,000 to the price is not going to positively affect those sales numbers.

The scene is similarly bleak for the other models mentioned.  The Toyota 86 / Subaru BRZ sell roughly 15,000 units a year combined, but will also see a $7,000+ price increase going forward. At roughly the same price point, Toyota sells 18,000 U.S.-built Toyota RAV-4s every 2 weeks.

The Nissan Z, which struggled to grow last year, has finally gained momentum, catching up to the Miata in number, but with a $44,000 base price it could see a jump of $11,000, a tough pill to swallow for a car that is largely sold as a spare, fun car.

Even the Ford Mustang with its 80% domestic parts content is not immune. Until the tariff drama started, the term “domestic content” included parts sourced from Canada and Mexico as part of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Even if all of the 80% domestic content is produced in the United States, the remaining content could see at least a $1600 increase in price. However, Ford doesn't fully break down which parts of the domestic content are actually built in Canada or Mexico, so additional costs could be imposed above the $1,600 increase.

Ford Mustang sales cratered in Q4 of 2024, falling over 43% from the same quarter in 2023. For the full year 2024, Mustang sales fell 9% year over year and for the first time, the Mustang Mach-E EV crossover outsold its namesake. This happened all while the Mustang’s main competitors, the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger, ended production and sales dwindled out.

At the higher end of the market, Porsche and Lamborghini have warned that they will have to add massive price increase to their products to remain in the U.S. market.

With sales already struggling for affordable sports cars, we think it is unlikely that many will survive, leaving only high-end sports cars available to consumers.

The grand plan was a separate new service to the house of 200 amps so that the garage would have plenty of power for charging multiple EVs and I would have a separate bill each cycle for knowing what I was spending for EV driving.

Waking up in the morning to a full charge of power and never having to stop at a gas station due to having a Level 2, 240-volt home charger is a luxury everyone should have allowing you to smile as you drive by a gas station with folks outside dealing with their fueling. The ultimate perk of EV ownership.

 I started with reaching out to my local utility and inquiring of the process for a new service. My local utility was more than accommodating in helping me out with the details. As an engineer that loves to learn, this process was very eye opening into the costs, lack of efficiencies by agencies and electrical contractors with a surprising ending to my eventual solution.

Let's start off by making one thing clear, every state has their own regulations in regard to electrical. While the USA follows the national electrical code as a starting point, each state, county and city then adds their own additions or subtractions to the code. Always make sure to follow your local code no matter if you hire a company, independent contractor or are a DIY (Do it Yourself) type of person.

Full information on the national electrical code can be found here: 
The National Electrical Code (NEC) - Electrical Safety Foundation (esfi.org)

Another thing to point out is every state has their own way of dealing with electrical supply and competition. As such, some states allow their end users to pick among competitive electrical suppliers even to the point of choosing to use Green Energy (Solar, Wind, and or Hydro) or not (Coal, Natural Gas, Nuclear). Other states tend to regulate this down to the city and or county within a state.

Washington state is a regulated power supply state so that depending on the county you live in; you deal with your county or the state power supplier. Washington state has one of the greenest electrical grides in the country. It produces 7,816 MWh of electricity and it breaks down as follows:
Figures as of May 16th, 2024

• Petroleum-Fired - 0%
• Natural Gas - 21.3%
• Coal-Fired - 3.9%
• Nuclear 10.3%
• Renewables - 64.1% (Hydro, Wind, Solar & Ocean)

Fueling Stations in Washington State:

• Motor Gasoline - 1,846 Stations
• Propane - 64 Stations
• EV Charging - 2,153 stations
• E85 - 5 stations
• Biodiesel, CNG, & Other Alternatives - 8 stations

If you wish to check out your own state information you can do so here by clicking on your state: 
U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis

Starting off on my project I had decided to go ahead with a ChargePoint+ Home Flex Hardwired solution. Yes, there are a wide variety of good home chargers that run from $250 to $2000 dollars such as the Porsche home charger.

Home Flex Hardwired Level 2 EV Charger (chargepoint.com)

The choice of this charger was based on the following:

• Some of the best reviews out there by thousands of people
• Hardwired allowed me the best power supply available to the EV building in future protection as newer EV tech comes online.
• ChargePoint sells both CCS and NACS supply cords, making upgrades from my current EV with CCS to a future EV with NACS easy as a self-Upgrade to the charger.
• ChargePoint app allows for use both at their fast-charging network and to track my own use and cost.

You can find a large diverse choice of L1 and L2 chargers on Amazon or from other sources. Many utilities will have rebates if you purchase through your local utility or in the case of my own system, I had to file a rebate form as my charger was on the approved list, but not available from my utility. ChargePoint+ also points out that till 2032 you might be able to qualify for a $1,000 rebate from the federal government.

Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Incentives | ChargePoint

Now that I have covered some of the basics about electrical and power source, lets dive into my journey for a Level 2 Home Charger.

Karl at the Snohomish PUD sent me a form that I had to fill out, this was a "New Service Residential Request" form. Here I had to fill out the normal details such as my house address, current status of the electrical to the home, type of new service being requested, pictures of where the service would need to be connected to the house and where I wanted the service panel to be, etc. This form had an area for requested measurements from the house to the utility pole, gross measurements of where the wiring would need to go so that the service could be sized up accordingly. The last part was the direction from my PUD on checking with the city for any additional requirements.

For those wanting to see what the new service request form looks like I supply it here:

1097R_NSQres.pdf

City requirements were that any electrical changes to the existing structure that comprised more than 10% cost of the home improvement value as assessed by the county required that the electrical lines from the utility pole to the house be installed underground rather than overhead. Luckily for me, my estimated costs would be under this so I was not looking to have to figure this into the cost of adding the service or so I thought.

Karl at SNOPUD said he would do the assessment and have out to me the updated info shortly. In the meantime, I reached out to a couple of recommended electrical companies from the SNOPUD website and a few independent electricians to get estimates on the work to be done. Specifically, I wanted two quotes, first is the all-new service added to the house with dedicated panel feeding the garage. Second was updating the existing panel to support a charger in the garage using my existing service.

Here I was expecting a $5 to $6 thousand dollar install connection for the first service and based on the auto industry estimate of around $1,500 to $2,000 for the second. Boy was I off by a bunch. All the estimates from both the electrical companies I contacted, and the independent contractors had the new service install between $10 to $12 thousand dollars and the existing services was between $4,700 to $6,200. This also did not include the connection to the PUD. Here I was informed from Karl at SNOPUD that the service could be done but would require a new transformer to our cul-d-sac to support the added amperage pull. As such, this was more than just a wire connection but an outage to the cul-d-sac ending in an almost $15,000 charge. Who knew that adding a service where you pay them for the flow of electricity would have such a huge cost and impact on my project. This put the cost of a new service between $25,000 to $27,000 dollars. So much for the Auto Industry estimates of $1,500 to $2,000 dollars and it also did not include the required $125.00 electrical permit I would have to get from the city and inspection.

I did keep in mind that the price of electrical work varies based on the cost of labor where one lives, power of the charger, distance from the charger to the electrical panel along with the job complexity.

What about DIY (Do it Yourself), could I do this job myself and what would the cost be? First, I knew from all the quotes that I was greatly under my 200-amp service pull as I have Gas stove, Dryer, Water heater and Furnace. As such, the 240V 30-to-50-amp circuits that are in my panel are not being used at all. One of the independent electricians had stated that the cheapest way would be to pull an existing circuit breaker and run the wire into the panel with the new Circuit breaker, but most electricians did not like leaving existing wires from outlets in the panel even if they were sealed off, they just did not like doing this, so everyone had quoted based on adding a secondary panel.

With this information, I researched from the ChargePoint+ website on installing the hardwired charger I had purchased from them. ChargePoint+ has installation videos and covers all the information on installation as well as becoming a certified installation expert.

ChargePoint Home Resources | ChargePoint

ChargePoint Home Flex (CPH50) Hardwired Installation Video | ChargePoint

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From the website above I gathered the following information on the materials that I would need.

• Conduit large enough to hold the wiring
  • Brackets to attach the conduit and screws
• 90-degree wire access conduit
  • Associated pipe nipple for connection into the panel
  • Insulated bushing
  • Appropriate washer and locknut for connection to the panel
• 6 AWG wiring
  • Black, Red and Green wires per code
  • ChargePoint+ clearly states to use 6AWG for their Level 2 Charger installation.
• 6 AWG wire stripper
• 70amp circuit breaker
  • Some states require these to be Arc or GFCI for indoor or outdoor, national code for outdoor installation is a GFCI breaker upstream from the outdoor installation. Check local regulations for proper type required.
  • Make sure to get the proper type of circuit breaker for your panel, I had D block circuits.
    • 
  • Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters vs. Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters - Bob Vila
• Torque Screwdriver set
  • Most do not know that depending on the size of the circuit breaker, when you connect the wiring to the breaker, the screws must be torqued to a certain range. The 70amp circuits per the side of the breaker states 45 in. lbs.
• Paintable caulking to seal both access points into the house for the charger.

With having my list of materials, I choose to first compare prices online from Home Depot and Lowe's. What I found was that Home Depot was much higher in the cost of the wiring, but cheaper in conduit, circuit breakers and accessories. Lucky, I have both home improvement stores within a 2-mile radius of my house. What I also noticed was that neither home improvement store had the required tools I would need, so clearly, I would have to stop off at my local Harbor Freight tool store.

Harbor Freight Tools | Quality Tools, Lowest Prices

With the knowledge of what I needed and a shopping list, I headed out and accomplished the following:

• Electrical Permit from my city. 
• Wiring from Lowe's - Lowe’s Home Improvement (lowes.com)
• Conduit, circuit breaker and accessories from Home Depot - The Home Depot
• Tools from Harbor Freight tools company - Harbor Freight Tools | Quality Tools, Lowest Prices

Opening up the electrical panel as you can see here, I have my household 200amp circuit at the top. This will kill power to everything in the house, below this was the kitchen and laundry room 240V circuit and then on down throughout the rest of the house to the garage with various circuits.

At this point, I knew that I would be turning off the 200amp circuit to work on this panel and protect the rest of the house. Note to point out is that when you turn off this 200amp circuit, the power is not flowing to the rest of the panel, but you still have the power coming from the street to this panel and so there is live electricity in that 200amp circuit. One must always be cautious when working with electrical.

One safety thing to do, remove ALL jewelry, watches, phones, etc. Have nothing on you that is electrical or any kind of metal and that includes a wedding ring. All these are places that can cause an electrical jump / short that can cause you harm.

As one that grew up working on auto's and having great respect for the electrical system of auto's, homes, datacenters, etc. there are some things that I do not have a problem doing. In this case I kept the power to the house on while I pulled the panel cover off. A proper panel should have all the wires in 90 degrees to the circuit breakers and to the grounding / neutral bars that are silver in this case. Here I have not had any manipulation of the box done with patchwork electrical hacks. It is always best to learn the details or hire the proper person to do your electrical work.

Being that I am comfortable with pulling out the circuit breaker that is turned off, I choose to pull and replace the 240V 30-amp laundry room circuit. Here in this picture, you can see it removed and a better view of the grounding / neutral bar of the electrical panel.

At this point, I wanted to pull out the punch of where I was going to run the new electrical lines into the panel. Once I pulled out the punch, I drilled a small starter hole from the inside to the outside so I could line up properly the larger drill bit for the incoming conduit. Upon drilling, I attached the pipe nipple extension to the 90-degree wire access conduit, and I inserted it through the outside wall. Here I put on the washer, lock nut and insulated bushing as you can see here.

Now the next step was to install the conduit, some love their hard conduit and gluing it together as it comes in 10ft lengths, and you then have to either use a special heater tool to bend the hard conduit or buy the proper pieces that are curved. I choose to go with liquid proof flexible commercial conduit. The benefit here is that while this is a bit more expensive, the flexibility of the line makes it so much easier to install. One thing no matter what type of conduit you choose to use is that one has to run the electrical lines through the conduit. Hard conduit can be with tight bends very challenging to run the electrical lines unless you have a special tool that allows you to snake through the conduit, attach the electrical lines and then it uses an electrical motor to pull it.

I choose to run my flexible conduit out in a straight line, and I had pushed through my three 6awg lines through it so that I had the wire already in the conduit. Now this does make the conduit much heavier to install, but I found it faster and easier to do it this way. You will also notice that I have a Black, White and Green wire rather than the code dictating a Black, Red and Green wire. Both Lowe's and Home Depot were out at the time of purchase the red 6awg wire. So, I did what is allowed and that is on the ends of the wire at both ends, I wrapped them with red electrical tape.

I started with connecting the liquid tight end connector to the flexible conduit and attaching it to the 90 degree wire access to the panel. I pushed the wires through to the inside and reattached the liquid tight cover and then started using the brackets to attach the conduit to the house.

Two things to consider, one is the over all look of the installation, sometimes the cheapest approach is not the best especially when it comes to ones significant other, wife, partner, etc., not everyone likes to see conduit. I choose to do my best to minimize the visibility of the conduit and once I paint it to match the house it will truly not show up as the wife never noticed it when she came home till after I showed here.

Upon installation of the conduit with the 6 AWG wires, it was time to mount the home charger in my designated place. Here you need to make sure it is level, supported by the wall which can sometimes require additional bracing. Here you see my ChargePoint+ unit being installed on the wall.

With the charger installed onto the wall, I finished up the connection of the conduit / wires into the unit. Connected the electrical supply side and the charging cable side and reinstalled the cover.

With the installation of the charger unit and wiring done, it was time to focus on the circuit breaker installation side. Here I had an LED head light as I finally turned off the 200-amp circuit breaker to the house. I attached the red and black wires to the circuit breaker, installed the ground wire and then installed the circuit breaker into the panel. I also at this time wrapped each wire from the laundry outlet in proper electrical tap and a wire twist to add additional protection and secured them out of the way in the panel corner. I also at this time used my torque screwdriver to ensure proper torque on the wires.

With the installation completed at the panel side, I turned back on the 200-amp circuit enabling the house to have power and was time to go enable the charger unit. Here ChargePoint+ has an outstanding cellphone app to enable you to finish up the setup of the charger. I was able to connect to the unit via WiFi and set the unit to 70 amp circuit hardwired. I also then connected it to my house WiFi for internet access. This allowed me to do a update on the unit for software. Here ChargePoint has on the left side of the unit indicators for WiFi connection.

Green is good and as you can see in the picture above, I have WiFi connection and the alert is showing green so no issues with the charger. Upon using the regular ChargePoint software app on my smartphone I was able to complete setting up an account and final configuration of my charger as a home charger unit.

The unit is green when not in use but ready to be used. During Charging the unit is a pulsing blue.

At this point, I had a functional Level 2 240V 50amp hardwired home EV charger with CCS connector.

What did this cost me, simple a total of $1,032.23

Level 2 ChargePoint+ Home Flex hardwired charger: $549.99 plus $54.99 sales tax before $200.00 rebate.
Total Cost of Materials: $391.77 which was from Home Depot & Lowe's.
Tools bought for the job: $110.48 which comprised of a 6 AWG wire striper and a Torque Screwdriver set from Harbor Freight.
Electrical Permit: $125 from the city.

Best part of this is the cheap charging we get at home at .10 cents per kW. The ChargePoint app allows me to track and monitor in real time our costs and amount used, so it will make it easy to subtract it from the electrical bill to see the house use versus the EV.

The app shows that I am constantly at the 11kW controller capabilities of home charging from Kia.

This brings me back to why I titled this the Good, Bad and the Ugly. New Service request is the ugly as the costs of the new service from my power supplier has costs that have never been talked about before to me and I still have to pay for the electrical use which makes this the ugly when you are looking at a five figure cost. The bad is clearly adding the new service panel and the associated costs to an electrical company to do the work, pretty much double what the auto industry has stated having a Level 2 home charger installed would actually cost. Good is for those of you who are willing to learn and do the work, a DIY install is in my humble opinion a very cheap way to go even though it did take a chunk of my time, I have no regrets about learning the process to install and dealing with my city on installation.

End result is a quality home charger that will serve me well for many years.

Please post any questions or comments, happy to respond on this personal journey into home charging of my EV.

Tired of the Voom, Voom, Voom of a performance Borla exhaust, the wife asked for a new ride. This is my journey of what I experienced in working to buy/lease an EV in 2024.

Let me first start off by saying that I am in no way a normal sized human. At 6 foot 6 inches 300 lbs with a 40 inch long legs, I am much larger and big bone than most Americans. My wife being of Korean descent is also larger than most at 5 foot 8 inches compared to the average female height of 5 foot in Korea. The USA census has the average female at 5 foot 4 inches tall and the average male at 5 foot 9 inches tall. With this knowledge of size, subcompacts, compacts are totally out of the question. I know mid-size to full-size is where our EV choices will be.

My journey started with me asking myself, what are the Pro's and Cons of buying versus leasing an Electric Vehicle (EV).

This image above pretty much wraps up what I came up with for leasing versus buying an EV and there was just one last thing to consider, technology. Battery Technology, controller boards and software are all in their infancy and as such will be probably changing greatly over the next few years. Do I take on the risk of buying and having the OEM stop updates to my EV or do I lease and go with trading it in and getting current technology in a new EV two or three years later?

2023 was an explosive year for auto companies as everyone was pushing to get an EV on the marketplace. Some made it with less than stellar results and others delivered. Trucks, SUVs and cars pretty much allowed one to have a selection of what style of EV they wanted. For my wife and I we had already decided to ignore the cars and focus on the SUVs and Trucks. With that in mind we made up the following list of EV companies to consider.

• BMW
• Cadillac
• Ford
• Genesis
• Hyundai
• Kia
• Mercedes
• Rivian
• Tesla

A busy weekend ensued and the experiences of driving so many different EVs showed where some succeeded and others fell short. Clearly some are still holding onto ICE (internal combustion engine) legacy engineering approach and others delivered on what is called a clean sheet design. Here was our weekend experience with the following brands:

• BMW - iX was a nice drive, interface experience was fine, it actually had plenty of room in the front, a little tighter in the back but for short drives, another person my size could sit behind me and would be fine. Exterior is a styling love / hate experience. Wife is not a fan of the huge kidney bean grill; she said it looked like a pig nose on steroids. The side profile was fine, and the back end looked like it was pinched in molding the design. Android Auto / Apple Carplay supported, overall, it would still be considered. Salesperson was polite and not pushy.
• Cadillac - Lyriq was the quietest drive of the day, Cadillac has nailed it, fast, solid and overall, a luxury EV ride. Interior over all was good, a little tight on head space with the sky roof, but the seat goes down far enough to adjust for that, interface of the dash was good. Android Auto / Apple Carplay is supported for the 2024 model year but is supposedly going away for the 2025 model year being replaced with the GM play store. Exterior styling my wife was fine with, better front end looks than the BMW. Would be on the consideration list. Salesperson was polite and not pushy. Nice balance of buttons to touch screen.
• Ford - Test drove an F150 Lighting and the Mach e, interior was fine, she liked the space and comfort. Was hoping for a midsize pickup truck, so ruled out the Lighting. Mach e she liked, both fit comfortably and clearly anyone could sit behind me my size and smaller. Android Auto / Apple Carplay supported. Major dislike was the salesperson who was very pushy and made comments that told my wife he was a male chauvinistic pig. He actually told me to man up as the wife would drive whatever I decided since I was the man. Big mistake as we do everything in equal partnership, so his approach failed to work. Mach e is still in consideration, we will go with another salesperson, maybe even another dealership.
• Genesis - GV60 / GV70, exterior was fine, though the GV60 she did say reminded her of a jellybean. Interior was very luxurious, but no one could sit behind me in the GV60, would be fine for short trips in the GV70. Android Auto / Apple Carplay supported. Interface was easy to use. She loved the interior but had reservations on the exterior but could not put her finger on it. GV70 would be in consideration. Nice balance of buttons to touch screen.
• Hyundai - Ioniq 5 SUV. She was not wowed by the exterior, felt it was sitting a bit low, bunker style, yet interior had plenty of room, Android Auto / Apple Carplay supported. Solid candidate to consider. Salesperson was nice, normal pushy attempts to have us make a decision, but as we told him, we still had others to test drive. Nice balance of buttons to touch screen.
• Kia - EV6 / EV9 - Exterior was not bad, was clearly different than many of the other EVs we had seen. EV6 is super tight inside for me, was fine for the wife as was the interface of their dashboard. No one could sit behind me. EV6 was out she said. EV9 was great, more room inside than our Escalade. Anyone could sit behind me, spacious for both of us and would transport anyone in comfort. Liked the exterior styling much more than many of the others we had test drove to date. Android Auto / Apple Carplay supported. Salesperson super nice and not pushy. Solid candidate. Nice balance of buttons to touch screen.
• Mercedes - EQS, interior was nice, driving was the second quietest behind the Cadillac. Interface was fine, but lower menus seemed cluttered. We liked the interior for the most part, the hard part of this EV was the exterior lack of any real styling. The worst Jellybean style around. Android Auto / Apple Carplay supported, Salesperson was super nice and not pushy, but as we told him when we thanked him for his time, the auto needs an identity. Wife said for her daily driver, this was a hard pass.
• Rivian - R1T / R1S - Exterior was a win for the wife right up there with the EV9 from Kia. Interior was also a big win as it was spacious and comfortable front and back. Interface was easy to use, over all a nice balance of buttons to touch screen. Sadly, Rivian is off the list as she asked the counselor about Android Auto / Apple Carplay, no support, no plan to support it. Must buy your apps from the Rivian store, failure big time we felt. Bummer as Rivian was a leading candidate for us.
• Tesla - Due to friends who have Tesla, even with her knowing my dislike for the Tesla CEO, she wanted to check out the Y / X. Overall the experience in talking with their counselor was good, good people skills, they went over the interface with the wife, in the meantime she saw that while I could fit in the Y, no one could sit behind me. in the X I could also fit, but only about 2 inches of space from the back of the seat to the back seat. Wife asked about Android Auto and Apple Carplay, they told her no plans, they offered her a test drive and she passed. Told me it was a bit weird in how you used the single interface in the center of the dash and a few other things, minimalist failure to her. Pass on Tesla.

Now that we had spent a long weekend driving so many EVs, I asked her what her thoughts were on what she was leaning towards. She told me give her a few weeks to digest the information and she would let me know. While the wife digested the EV overload of info, I moved onto researching the EV technology of these auto makers.

Auto EV Platform Info 2024.pdf

One key item is that I do not want to be behind the 8 ball of technology standards. In this case, I am talking about companies that are on 400V platforms versus 800V platforms. in this case, this brings us down to the following, Cadillac, Genesis, Hyundai and Kia as everyone else is on 400V platforms and already have announced that 2025 and 2026 model years will be the conversion to new 800V platforms.

Knowing my wife, one does not rush her, when she is ready, she will let me know, weeks passed by and finally one day at breakfast, she said I have an answer for you. I like the Cadillac Lyriq and the Kia EV9 the best. I want heated seats, steering wheel and AWD, otherwise I could care less about other features.

In looking on the websites for my local dealerships, the Cadillac dealership that I have bought from before was sold during the pandemic to Brotherton Cadillac of Renton. So Brotherton Cadillac NW is the dealership near me, and the wife and I reviewed all the Lyriqs and settled on the following:  Cadillac Lyriq Sport 2 AWD Celestial Metallic. This paint color is a color shifting paint that covers purple to silver / grey spectrum depending on the light of the day and especially as I discovered sun versus rain. In the sun it is a radiant purplish color and under dark raining weather a serious silver/dark grey.

Chuck Olson Kia which is less than a mile away from Brotherton Cadillac NW on HWY 99 here in the greater Seattle area had a nice assortment EV9s in Wind, Land and GT versions. They had the traditional blue GT and an Ice Green that the wife really liked. So I settled on the Ice Green to test drive and see what the final price would be.

Again, like the Lyriq, the ICE Green metallic paint job has a dominant blueness but turns various shades of lite green to greenish blue depending on the light of the day.

At this point we get to the nitty gritty of the dealing, Price paid, rebates, final pricing to determine what the deal ends up being. Over dinner, the wife and I discussed the options of buying versus leasing and to both of us, it made sense at this early stage to lease rather than buy an EV. The addition of the IRA $7,500 rebate also played into our decision. For Cadillac the Lyriq qualifies again for the full $7,500 rebate whether you buy or lease, in the case of the Kia, due to manufacturing in Korea, the EV9 only qualifies for the rebate if you lease. This fall, Kia and Hyundai start manufacturing in the US allowing their EVs to get the full $7,500 rebate if buying.

For me, I wanted to see what a zero down Lease deal would be as a starting point before paying down. Depending on credit rating, most auto leases require anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 down and of course the more you pay down, the lower your monthly payment is.

The nature of my work allows me flexibility and as such, I was able to go on a Friday morning at 10am to the Brotherton Cadillac NW to test drive the Lyriq Sport 2 edition. In fact the EV is still on the lot now almost two weeks later.

New 2024 Blue Cadillac 4dr Sport w/1SJ LYRIQ for Sale North of Seattle, VIN = 1GYKPVRL1RZ127387 (brothertoncadillacnw.com)

Upon driving onto the lot, I parked and saw the Lyriq as it shinned in the morning sun giving that purplish glow that my wife liked. I walked up and checked it out externally and it looked great. After about 10 minutes of checking the Lyriq out, I was still not approached by anyone, so I went into the sales floor and asked if I could talk with someone about a Lyriq. First salesperson said I needed to talk to their EV specialist and walked away, a second person came out of a side hallway and asked if I was being taken care of and I told them what just happened, and I was still standing here. He did apologize and asked me to wait just a moment and he would get the specialist. 

A young man came out, introduced himself and asked me if I had any special model in mind and if I wanted to take a test drive. I took him out to show him the one I was interested in. He took down their special code and left to get the keys. At this point, over all experience with the dealership was not bad, neutral for me as it is nothing personal, just business and some do it better than others.

The sales rep returned with the keys, he opened up the Lyriq and took me on a tour of the auto pointing out many of the features and explaining the functional differences between how it works on the EV versus an ICE auto. This I have to say was very welcomed as it showed me the man had knowledge of the auto and could show / explain to me how it was to be used. I appreciate this as my wife is not a tech person but show her how to do it and she it set, so this was a good start. We did the traditional driver's license and insurance validation, signed on the dotted line and I then took off for a road trip in the Lyriq. Android auto works as expected, over all interface was easy to understand and use with a nice balance of common used items in physical form right under the screen. Steering wheel had all the expected buttons and dials for using the auto. The Noise canceling of the auto gave it a quiet ride that I have never experienced before and still to this day is the best yet of all the EVs I have test driven. 

Negative of the Lyriq is that it is not a true SUV, you sit lower more car like and headroom while I would be fine, required me to drop the seat to the bottom of it's settings which makes my driving position even lower. Knowing that this is the wife's auto, I returned to the dealership to talk price.

Here is where things started to go south and why people hate dealerships.

I tried my best to negotiate in good faith for a fair price on the EV. The dealership replied that it was the hottest ride available and as such no discounts, you paid the price they had on the auto which was MSRP plus $5,000. I informed them that no I was not going to pay over MSRP for an auto that shows over 300 are available in the greater Seattle area. 

The Dealership then said fine, they would sell it at MSRP to me. Knowing that I get $7,500 off I was not put off by this but also not happy that they would not go down on the price. I told them at this point I was interested in leasing and wanted to see what the lease rate would be for 15,000 miles a year for three years. Here is where it got ugly. 

The sales rep came back to me and had a handwritten piece of paper with a TRD (Total after Rebates and Discounts) price, Lease money factor number, Residual price and monthly payment including tax. The monthly payment was a little over $1,200 a month. I asked to see firm numbers showing the selling price minus the IRA rebate, tax, etc. all lined up so that I can understand the numbers. I was informed this is how leases are done, your rebate is figured into the residual amount and that this is all the accurate info they provide the buyer. If I agree to this, they can then process and sell me the Lyriq.

I told the man that this handwritten paper did not explain any of what I asked to verify and see, so they would need to properly print out or hand write all details in order for me to make a decision. The rep left and was gone for about 10 minutes and then came back with another salesperson who reminded me of a traditional wild west snake oil salesman who tried to use the same paper I was shown and yet tell me I was not able to understand the complexities of leases and should trust him on this awesome monthly cost.

When I told him I would not accept that vague random info, he then moved into the terrible game of "What can you afford a month?" Here is where many people either give up and accept or leave as they feel overwhelmed, I on the other hand laughed and told him that I would not play his game. Show me the valid real numbers with a final price on the Lyriq before processing for the Lease monthly amount. 

My wife always told me I was a very frustrating person when it came to buying an auto as I would push for facts and have on more than one occasion made salespeople cry when they could not get their way playing their monthly afford game. This is how people get ripped off and taken advantage of. The two folks left and came back with the sales manager who tried again with the paper to spin a different tale. At this point, I said fine, I would consider this as I needed to talk with the wife, and she would need to drive the auto anyway before we would buy. 

Leaving the Cadillac dealership, I drove south to Chuck Olson Kia, figured I would see how the EV9 drove again and see what kind of deal I could get.

Arriving at the dealership, I saw the EV9 I was interested in on the lot, looked it over and turned around to see if I can get some help and a young man greeted me and said he was with another customer, but would let another salesperson know I was looking at that EV9. Only a few minutes later, the sales rep came out, greeted me and had the keys so he opened up the EV and showed me the SUV. 

Here the experience was similar in that we took the EV9 in Ice Green for a drive. As I drove it, I was informed about the various features and how they all worked. An overview that was enjoyable as I drove the near silent EV locally. I did notice that it was not as quiet as the Lyriq, but most would not really notice the difference, everything else on the road was far louder.

We returned to the dealership and sat down; I asked the rep for the best price on this EV9 he could give me. He left to talk to his manager. Now I was comparing the price of the Lyriq Sport level 2 to this EV9 AWD Land edition and the MSRP price between the two was within a hundred dollars of each other. The EV9 had a number of features that the Lyriq did not have unless I paid substantially more and go to the top end Sport Level 3.

At this point the Kia was winning on features giving it a better value due to the two being priced nearly the same.

The sales rep came back to the table with a price that was $5,000 off MSRP. I felt based on internet searching that this was a fair price and felt it was good. I asked him then at this price with my IRA rebate of $7,500 what would a three-year lease with 15,000 miles a year cost me per month. The rep said give him a few minutes to have the manager put this in the system and he would come back with a detailed price for me.

The salesperson returned about 10 minutes later with a Deal Sheet for me to review. Here is where the difference became clear between this Kia Dealership and the Cadillac Dealership. The Deal Sheet had all the numbers listed out clearly. Any person could walk through this in full understanding.

The lease deal, started off with the Stock number for the EV9, had the MSRP listed, discount, then Selling price of the EV9. This was followed by a blank field for accessories or add on sales items as the sales rep explained. The rebate for $7,500 was clearly listed, blank space for Trade, cash cap reduction, license fee, doc fee ending in a final price of the EV that was then broken down by 36 months @ 15,000 miles a year for a Base monthly rental cost and then the sales tax on the whole deal which was broken down into monthly tax rate added to the monthly lease amount. Residual value at the end of the lease, a residual money factor that is a decimal number used to figure out the monthly lease rate.

All in all, a very clear understandable deal and the monthly price for the EV9 was $837 per month compared to $1,200 plus for the Cadillac. I told the salesperson that I would need to talk to my wife when she got home tonight and would give him a call back. As I was getting ready to leave, I realized I had forgotten to ask an important question. Could the front driver and passenger windows be tinted to match the rest of the auto. Due to having had skin cancer, blocking out UV plus just having it darker is what I prefer. The sales rep said he believed so but would have to check with his manager and could call me if I gave him my number later. I left him my cell number and headed home.

Sitting at home, I was thinking about the experience at the Cadillac dealership and wondering, can it really be that bad at any other dealership? So, I did a search and found the identical Cadillac Lyriq Sport 2 AWD Celestial Metallic at the Bellevue Cadillac dealership and much farther away at Larson Cadillac of Fife. Off to Bellevue I went.

Arriving at the Bellevue Cadillac dealership, I was promptly greeted and professionally questioned on the auto I was interested in. The young man was always polite and more than happy to help me. This dealership is one of the newly built from the ground up dealerships that truly echo's Luxury and what I would expect from a luxury dealership.

Due to the knowledge of the salesperson like the other dealership, it started off positive, went out to check and see if the auto their website stated they had on hand was actually there. It was, Identical to the one at Brotherton Cadillac NW in Shoreline Washington. At this point, I gave him the same info I had given the other person to see what the pricing would be.

Ten minutes later he returned with a printed sheet of paper, that was better than handwritten. Had a set sale price that was a couple thousand off the MSRP, had a rebate of $1,000 showing a reduced price, document fee, licensing and a theft engraving that he said they do on all autos sold there so nothing I could do about not wanting it. The total at the end showed a lease money factor, term, mileage and residual with a base payment of $1,042 dollars. with no money down. 

Now two things I noticed, one was that the IRA rebate was not showing anywhere on the paperwork and the second item was that at least their price was over $200 less than the other dealership. I inquired about the $7,500 rebate and he said he did not know and would go ask. Upon returning he said it was factored into the residual value of the Lyriq when I traded it back in.

I pointed out that the rebate does not go into a value of the vehicle but is paid to the dealership and so comes off the price of the auto. Things continued to go downhill from here as I was told by him that I did not understand how leasing worked. His sales manager stopped by, and I pointed this out, same response, I do not understand how leasing works. I informed them that I would need to present this to my wife and discuss it with her. They attempted the pressure response of get her on the phone, we can explain it and you can drive home in your new EV. They were not happy with me and would not let me have the paperwork. When they stepped out to talk, I snapped a quick picture of the printed paperwork.

Two Cadillac dealerships, two different lease prices on the identically spec / priced Lyriq Sport 2 and no honest showing of where the rebate would end up at. 

Heading home this made me wonder about Cadillac and their EV focus which we have since learned in the news has changed to having ICE and EV through 2030 and beyond.

At home, I explained my day of EV shopping to the wife, she was disappointed that Cadillac was not forthcoming with their pricing. She liked the looks of the Lyriq as much as the looks of the Kia EV9. At this point the phone rang, and it was the sales rep for Kia. He informed me that yes, the doors could be tinted and that his sales manager if we were willing to move forward with the deal would throw in the front window tinting. We setup an appointment for Saturday morning to go and test drive the EV9 with the wife to ensure she would be happy driving it.

For full details on our EV9 Purchase read this story:

Now at this point, I figured I would relax for the evening, but I got another phone call from a sales rep at Larson Cadillac who informed me that the Lyriq I was interested was already sold at their dealership, but he could make me another deal on a like existing Lyriq, different color. I informed him that my wife liked the 800V Lyriq in the Celestial Metallic. The man on the other end of the phone said he could see if they could do a trade to get what we were interested in, but he wanted me to understand that the Lyriq was not a true 800V EV. I was surprised by his comment and asked him why it was not a true 800V EV. I learned and have verified that the only EV GM makes that truly can handle 350 kW fast charging is the Hummers, the Lyriq has an 800V electrical system, but the battery packs are first generation and as such only rated at 400V meaning they have a top charging speed of 150 kW. GM is planning to roll out 800V battery packs starting with the Chevrolet and GMC full size pickups. All other EVs will continue to use the 400V battery packs for now. At this point, I thanked the man for his time and would think on it and get back to him.

As a person wanting to be current, this takes me to the Kia EV9 only. I did not say anything to my wife about the tech and hoped she would be happy with how it drove. Luckily that was a success the next day.

I have spent half my life on the sales side and in training new sales folks there is a pretty basic 5 step process in sales:

1) Greet the customer inquiring what brought them in today 2) Qualify the person on what they want 3) Trial close to see if they are ready 4) Clarify questions and overcome concerns 5) Close the Sale.

To accomplish this basic 5 steps, you first have to fully train the individual in what they are selling. Here Cadillac clearly is not or possibly the dealerships are not wanting to ensure everyone know how to sell an EV.

Recap of this whole shopping experience is that Kia is nailing it with a professional sales experience, knowledgeable people on their products and a sales / lease process that is clear hiding nothing from allowing you to commit to buying or leasing a new auto.

Cadillac on the other hand has left me with the feeling of snake oil salespersons at both dealerships with vague pricing, vague rebates and me wondering just how much they really want to earn my repeat business as I would love to replace my current Escalade with an Escalade IQ, but at this point, Genesis the luxury brand for Hyundai / Kia will reveal their Full Size GV90 ICE/Hybrid/Electric SUV summer of 2024 and I might just be replacing it with a Genesis.

Any questions, ask away.

Back in December 2023, my wife mentioned to me that she was getting a little tired after 15 years of the Voom Voom Voom of her SS. The sound of the Borla factory exhaust was not what she wanted to hear in a daily driver. I had originally bought this in 2008 for her when, after our kids had finished college, she wanted to fulfill her life dream of getting an advanced education. She started her college career driving our Escalade ESV to the University of Washington campus and finding that a full-size SUV was hard to park in the garages of compact parking spaces with minimal regular parking spaces.

Let's put this all in perspective: the Escalade ESV has 345hp, 380 lb.-ft of torque with V8, 14 mpg average, a curb weight of 5,911lbs, 10 inches of ground clearance, 79.5 inches wide, 75 inches tall, 221.4 inches long and a wheelbase of 130 inches. A comfy, quiet auto that is just big but makes driving very comfortable. 0 to 60 mph of 6.2 seconds.

I replaced it with a Trailblazer SS, Corvette-inspired powertrain that makes 390hp, 400 lb.-ft of torque with V8, 12 mpg average, curb weight of 4,496lbs, 7.8-inch ground clearance, 74.7 inches wide, 67.8 inches tall, 191.8 inches long and a wheelbase of 113 inches. An auto designed for performance with a Borla exhaust that lets folks know you are here. 0 to 60 of 5.9 seconds.

Kia EV9 Land AWD Long Range edition with relaxation package has 379hp, 516 lb.-ft of torque electric, 80 MPGe average, curb weight 5,886lbs, 7.8 inches of ground clearance, 77.9 inches wide, 70.1 inches tall, 197.1 inches long and a wheelbase of 122 inches. 0 to 60 of 4.4 seconds. The relaxation package adds heated and cooled seats to the second row along with calf leg support on both the first and second-row seats, allowing for lazy boy reclining comfort.

The differences of the EV over the SS are as follows: 11hp less, 116 lb.-ft of torque more, 1,400 lbs. heavier, 3.2 inches wider, 2.3 inches taller, 5.6 inches longer, wheelbase is 9 inches longer along with 1.5 seconds faster. The EV comes with the following driving modes: eco, normal, sport, snow, and custom. You can clearly tell that the suspension tightens up in Sport mode, much tighter than the SS ever was even though both had 20-inch rims with identical size tires. The longer wheelbase here allows the EV to have a very comfortable ride still while spirited in driving; back in Normal mode, it rides on par with my Escalade with a Magna ride.

What does that give me? A more comfortable ride with a roomy interior with space for 6 adults compared to a tight fit of 5 adults. The relaxation package, which I did not realize it had till I was being taken over the auto after the deal closed, is nice as it goes from just having the heat and cooling of the front seats to the middle row of seats having heat and cooling plus all 4 captain chairs have the lazy-boy approach of cafe support that comes up, chair will straighten out and give you a very comfy sleep capable setup.

The wireless Android Auto is great. While the system has a high-encryption security system, when you get in based on your fob, you would have to punch in a pin to actually get the EV started. If you have Kia Connect on your smartphone and place it on the wireless charging pad, it will allow you to start the auto without having to enter your pin.

I am pleasantly surprised by just how much bigger the interior is of the EV9 over Kia's Telluride, which is very nice for an ICE auto, as my son traded in his Jeep Grand Cherokee on one. They are pretty much the same width, length, height, and ground clearance, and yet the interior space is so much more on the EV9, especially behind the 3rd seat for storage.Yes, the EV9 has a Frunk, and while some might consider it not useful, it is bigger than many out there but not as big as a Mach e. It can hold 44lbs @ 1.8 cubic feet of space.

I am looking at what Kia recommends the ChargePoint+ 80amp hardwired Level 2 charger for my garage. This gives a 10% to 80% charge in 3hrs and 45 min. I will be trying at the end of the week the 110 Volt charger that came with the EV9.

While I still have plenty to learn about this EV, I will say that I love the lighting of the auto inside; the layout of the dash is great. Turn signals have a circle that pops up on the dash, showing you the side of your auto so you can make sure not to hit anything on the side. The 360-surround camera system is outstanding and clear, even in heavy rain, I have ended up leaving it set to have the rear-view mirror run in camera mode all the time as it is better than a traditional mirror.

Ask any and all questions. I'll be happy to answer them.

For all pictures, check out my garage entry - Members Garage: 2024 Kia EV9

With the average transaction of a new vehicle reaching $48,247, buying a new car is quite expensive. And while this price gets higher each year, automakers still make inexpensive vehicles. We compiled a list of 10 models that come in at under $22,000, less than half the average transaction price of a new car. Even though these are the least expensive model year 2024 new cars you can buy, most have a good set of standard features and all come with reversing cameras, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and USB ports as standard. These vehicles are ranked from most to least expensive. For two of them, this is your last chance to buy one new. The Mitsubishi Mirage and Nissan Versa are being discontinued after 2024.

All of the pictures included are of higher trims than the base model. Manufacturers tend not to provide photos of their most basic trims.

2024 Hyundai Elantra SE
Starting Base Price: $21,475

The most expensive of the top 10 cheapest new 2024 cars the 2024 Hyundai Elantra sedan. Base level SE trim starts at $21.475. Elantra features a 2.0-liter inline-four engine producing 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. Standard front-wheel drive and a CVT accelerate the Elantra from 0-60 MPH in  8.1 seconds. The 2.0-liter engine returns 32 MPG city, 41 MPG highway, and 36 MPG combined. Alloy wheels are 15 inches with black accent pieces. Screens include a 4.2-inch gauge cluster and an eight-inch touchscreen. Safety features include forward collision avoidance, blind-spot warning, and lane-keep assist.

2024 Volkswagen Jetta S
Starting Base Price: $21,435

At a base price of $21,435, the 2024 Volkswagen S is the second most expensive on this list, but also the most powerful. It comes with a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-four producing 158 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. The base Jetta comes in front-wheel-drive with a standard six-speed manual transmission, the only manual available on this list. Combined, the Jetta hits 60 MPH in a scant 7.1 seconds. This engine returns 30 MPG city, 41 MPG highway, and 34 MPG combined. An integrated light bar in the front grille, black trim around the windows, and 16-inch allow wheels come with the S trim level. Jetta S features an eight-inch digital gauge cluster and a 6.5-inch touch screen. Blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and lane assist are standard. 

2024 Nissan Kicks S
Starting Base Price: $21,050

The first of Nissan's three vehicles on this list is the 2024 Nissan Kicks S crossover, at $21,050. This vehicle comes with a 1.6-liter inline-four, producing 121 horsepower and 115 pound-feet. With front-wheel drive and a CVT, the Kicks get from 0-60 MPH in 9.7 seconds. This engine returns 33 MPG highway, 31 MPG city, and 33 MPG combined. The Kicks features a chrome grille, automatic headlights, and 16-inch steel wheels with wheel covers. Both the digital gauge cluster and touch-screen infotainment systems are seven inches. Safety features include forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, and lane departure warning. 

2024 Nissan Sentra S
Starting Base Price: $20,890

Nissan's second vehicle is the 2024 Sentra S, which starts at $20,890. The Sentra S comes with a two-liter inline-four engine producing 149 horsepower and 146 pound-feet of torque. Utilizing a front-wheel drive and a CVT, the Sentra S gets from 0-60 MPH in 9.2 seconds. Fuel economy figures are 37 MPG highway, 28 MPG city, and 32 MPG combined. Exterior features include halogen headlights, a black grille with chrome accents, and 16-inch steel wheels with full-wheel covers. A 4.2-inch TFT display is in between two analog dials along with a seven-inch touch-screen. Safety features include automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and rear automatic braking.  

2024 Chevrolet Trax LS
Starting Base Price: $20,400

Chevrolet's 2024 Trax LS starts at $20,400. Powering the Trax is a turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder producing 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. With the only traditional automatic on this list, the Trax's front-wheel drive and a six-speed automatic results in a 0-60 MPH run of 8.8 seconds. Fuel mileage is 32 MPG highway, 28 MPG city, and 30 MPG combined. Standard exterior features include LED headlights, rear spoiler, and black body molding. The driver gets a 3.5-inch TFT display and an 8.0-inch infotainment system. Chevy's Safety Assistant comes with emergency braking, lane keep assist, and forward collision alert.

2024 Kia Soul LX
Starting Base Price: $20,190

Kia's boxy 2024 Soul LX hatchback is the first of two Kias on the list, priced at $20,190. This model has a 2.0-liter inline-four producing 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. With front-wheel drive and a CVT, the Soul gets to 60 MPH in 8.0 seconds. This engine will obtain 33 MPG highway, 27 MPG city, and 30 MPG combined. The Soul S comes with a black and silver grille, adaptive headlights, and 16-inch steel wheels with wheel covers. There are fully digital dials along with an eight-inch infotainment system. Safety features include lane-departure warning, forward-collision warning, and driver-attention warning.

2024 Kia Forte LX
Starting Base Price: $19,990

The least expensive vehicle in Kia's lineup is the $19,990 Forte LX. Powering the front-wheel-drive Forte is the same 2.0-liter inline-four engine found in the Soul. It produces 147 horsepower and 132-pound feet and is mated to a CVT.  Zero to 60 MPH clocks in at 8.1 seconds. Fuel economy is 40 MPG highway, 30 MPG city, and 34 MPG combined. High beam assist, daytime running lights (DRL), and 15-inch steel wheels with wheel covers come standard. Between the instrument cluster is a 4.2-inch TFT display along with an 8.0-inch infotainment system. The Forte has the same safety features as the Soul with lane departure warning, forward collision warning, and driver attention warning. 

2024 Hyundai Venue SE
Starting Base Price: $19,800

Hyundai's second vehicle on the list is the 2024 Hyundai Venue SUV. Similar to the Elantra, the base trim level is the SE. Pricing starts at $19,800. The Venue comes with a 1.6-liter inline-four ending producing 121 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque. Front-wheel-drive and CVT result in a 0-60 MPH in 8.5 seconds. The 1.6-liter engine returns 29 MPG city, 33 MPG highway, and 31 MPG combined. Exterior features include high beam assist (HBA), black grille, and 15-inch allow wheels. The interior comes with an eight-inch touchscreen and a 4.2-inch TFT gauge display. Lane Keeping Assist, Driver Attention Warning, and forward collision-avoidance assist are standard safety features

2024 Mitsubishi Mirage ES Hatchback
Starting Base Price: $16,695

The penultimate spot for least-expensive vehicles goes to the 2024 Mitsubishi Mirage ES hatchback. Mirage ES comes with a 1.2-liter inline-three engine producing 78 horsepower and 74 pound-feet of torque, the least powerful engine here. A CVT and front-wheel drive combine to take the Mirage ES from 0-60 MPH in 10.9 seconds. This small engine achieves fuel economy ratings of 41 MPG highway, 37 MPG city, and 39 MPG combined. Headlights use halogen lights, while the tail lights are LEDs. Mirage ES rides on 14-inch steel wheels with wheel covers. Interior features include steering wheel audio controls, automatic climate control, and cruise control. There are analog dials along with a 7.0-inch infotainment system. Front collision mitigation, Active Stability Control (ASC), and Hill Start Assist (HSA) are key safety features.

2024 Nissan Versa S Sedan
Starting Base Price: $16,290

As of January 2024, the least-expensive vehicle is the 2024 Nissan Versa S sedan. Versa comes with a 1.5-liter inline-four producing 122 horsepower and 114 pound-feet of torque. Powering the front wheels with a five-speed manual, the Sentra S gets from 0-60 MPH in 9.5 seconds. Versa returns 40 MPG highway, 32 MPG city, and 35 MPG combined. The exterior features halogen lights, a V-Motion grille with chrome accents, and 15-inch steel wheels with wheel coverings. Along with the Sentra, the Versa S has a small TFT display between the analog dials and a seven-inch touch screen. Versa S also includes automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and rear automatic braking. 

Pricing:

• 2024 Hyundai Elantra SE - $21,475
• 2024 Volkswagen Jetta S - $21,435
• 2024 Nissan Kicks S - $21,050
• 2024 Nissan Sentra S - $20,890
• 2024 Chevrolet Trax LS - $20,400
• 2024 Kia Soul LX - $20,190
• 2024 Kia Forte LX - $19,990
• 2024 Hyundai Venue SE - $19,800
• 2024 Mitsubishi Mirage ES - $16,695
• 2024 Nissan Versa S - $16,290

So, while the vehicle market is still trending towards large crossovers with $48,000-plus price tags, there are still at least ten options for people who want something more affordable, and you don't have to give up your favorite entertainment options and safety features to buy one.

In Chaos Theory, the butterfly effect is the idea that a tiny change can result in massive changes later. The simple act of a butterfly flapping its wings could set into motion a series of events that change the weather.

In the summer of 2018, the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, the organization responsible for putting together the Detroit Auto Show, more formally known as the North American International Auto Show or NAIAS, announced that beginning in 2020, the show would move in the calendar from its traditional time in January to a summer month to allow for exhibits and demonstrations outside of what was then Cobo Hall. Little did the show organizers know, but they may have changed the course of history for millions of people.

The final January show in Detroit was in 2019. It was also the last time I attended after ten straight years of reporting directly from the show. I was looking forward to the summer shows in Detroit. The weather for the January shows has always been unpredictable. There have been years when it has been pleasantly mild and years where I’m driving through unplowed snow six inches deep and then having to schlep to the Cobo Center in dress shoes.  Even with the poor weather, the Detroit Auto Show was always an exciting time to see the newest products and catch up with industry friends.

There was no Detroit show in 2020, nor was there a New York show, Chicago show, or Los Angeles show, for reasons we all understand in 2023. In the years following, the already struggling shows were cut down significantly, if they even ran at all.

Yesterday, I received my media credential for the 2023 North American International Auto Show, taking place in Detroit, starting September 13th. While I’ve registered for the credentials to various shows since 2021, this show in September will be the first I plan to attend since 2019. Thinking back, I realized how our recent history with Covid may have been very likely changed by the Detroit Auto Dealers Association’s desire to move the show outdoors. It is highly likely that this simple change in the schedule saved millions of lives.

I can remember hearing about this strange new virus in China in December 2019. I had recently left a position that I had held for 14 years and, armed with a very generous severance package, had decided to take a few months off to recuperate from burnout.  We already knew that the Detroit auto show was not going to happen until the summer, so I took all of January off with the intent to start looking for work in February.  History being what it was, I wouldn’t work full-time again until May 2020.

But consider the significance of NAIAS’s move to the summer; Wuhan is China’s 9^th largest city, having a population of over 11 million. It is one of China’s most important industrial and research centers and, as such, is home to a large number of automobile part suppliers. Those automobile parts suppliers send reps to all the major auto shows globally.

December 31^st, 2019

On New Year’s Eve 2019, Covid-19 was officially identified. Though it is now known that the earliest known infection was a person who fell ill on December 1^st, 2019, there is also a possible earlier case on November 17^th. I can tell you from experience that those of us in the U.S. who attend the Detroit auto show have our travel booked at least a month in advance, so it is likely that individuals who would be traveling internationally would have booked even earlier.  And remember, before Covid, we did not have the mentality of “if you’re sick, stay home”.  For an event as large and as important as the Detroit Auto Show, you just sucked it up and went. I am guilty of this myself. Before Covid-19, I would still attend the show even if I was feeling a little under the weather.

January 15^th, 2020

Sixteen days after being officially identified, the seven-day rolling average for Covid-19 related deaths was nearly 8,000, mostly in China. January 15^th is also traditionally the first or second day of the Detroit Auto Show, and Wuhan was still nine days away from lockdown. California, the first state in the US to lock down, was still two months away.

A series of unfortunate events… that didn’t happen

From here, it is not hard for anyone who has attended Media Days at any auto show to imagine the rest of the scenario.  Auto shows are crowded affairs. Journalists and industry spies juggling to get access to the latest product or talk to manufacturers’ representatives. Shaking hands, talking in close quarters, and a distinct lack of respect for personal space is basically required. Nearly no one wears a mask.

With several hundred to over a thousand visitors coming into Detroit from Wuhan, the Detroit Auto Show would have been not A super spreader event, but THE super spreader event.  This massive gathering of thousands of people in close quarters from all over the globe would have accelerated the pandemic on an unimaginable scale. The virus would have been taken back to cities across the US, Europe, and Asia in large numbers a full two months earlier and caused the pandemic to be far worse and far more rapid than what we went through.

Returning to Normalcy

Prior to Covid, working at the Detroit Auto Show could be a 14+ hour day. One year, I remember a 5 a.m. wake-up call to make a 6 a.m. Porsche press conference and then a series of events that lasted well into the evening.  Those days are gone now, and the Detroit Show is a shell of its former self. This year, we expect five or fewer reveals, and even those might be simple facelifts or trim packages.

But one of the reasons that's happened is because attendance and coverage has dropped so significantly. Manufacturers don’t see the value in a show with a low attendance rate.  I know it’s not going to be like the old days, but it will never come back if we continue to stay away. With that in mind, though the news from the show will still be thin this year, I will be covering the show in person once again, this time with a mask and some butterflies.

It's time to roll back the clocks, and one of Cher's most famous songs, "If I Could Turn Back Time" debuted in 1989. That same year, automakers introduced at least 51 new models to the public.

Each week for the next four weeks, we'll take a look at some of those cars, and you vote for which car would make you wish you could turn back time.

The categories will be Family Car, Sports Car, Luxury Car, and Exotic.

1989 was a good year for people who liked sports cars as many fun new options hit the market.

Mitsubishi Eclipse / Eagle Talon / Plymouth Laser – This trio from Mitsubishi was a product of the Diamond-Star Motors partnership with Chrylser.  While built with all-wheel drive in mind, the first year of these cars was front-wheel drive only, with AWD coming to the Eclipse and Talon in 1990 and to the Laser in 1991.  Three engine variants were offered; a 92 horsepower 1.8 liter 4-cylinder with SOHC, a 2.0 liter 16-valve DOHC with 135 horsepower, or a 2.0-liter DOHC Turbo with either 180 horsepower (automatic transmission) or 190 horsepower (manual transmission). The Eclipse got the broadest selection of engines, trims, and options with the Plymouth roughly matching it. The Talon was aimed at higher performance and did not get the base engine. All three have a hood bulge that is commonly thought to be for the turbo; however, it is actually to give clearance to the DOHC valvetrain.   All three were relatively well received; however, the Laser never sold as well as the Eclipse or Talon and was dropped at the end of the model run.

Nissan 240SX – This rear-wheel drive sports coupe and hatchback replaced the famed 200SX in 1989. While there are visual differences, the 240SX is largely a direct counterpart to the Japanese market Silvia. This car was known for its excellent handling due to its light weight and rear-wheel drive. American models were let down with a relatively underpowered 2.4 liter SOHC 4-cylinder that produced only 140 horsepower, while Japan and Europe got to enjoy a turbo-intercooled 1.8 liter. Transmissions were either a 4-speed automatic or a 5-speed manual. The coupes offered a heads-up display with a digital speedometer are part of a convenience package.

Mazda Miata MX-5 – The MX-5 is the only car in this list to survive in production to the current day. Entering the market in September 1989 as a 1990 model, the MX-5  Miata was an instant classic. It took the formula of an English roadster and gave it handling plus Japanese reliability. In January 1990, it was awarded Car of the Year by Automobile Magazine. The MX-5 owed its great handling to a lightweight double wishbone suspension at all four wheels. Power was not amazing at only 115 hp and 100 lb.-ft of torque, but with a base curb weight of only 2,120 lbs., it still provided plenty of fun. The standard transmission was a 5-speed manual, but an automatic could be selected with a 10 hp penalty. The Miata's legendary manual transmission was conceived to have as short a throw as possible with minimal effort. Those who prefer simplicity could opt for the base model with steel wheels, roll-up windows, and no stereo or air conditioning. This first-generation Miata was in production for 8 years with 431,506 units produced.

Ford/Mercury Capri - If you hail from down under, another sports car debuted that would eventually make its way to the US, the Ford Capri. Production of the Capri started in 1989. It was built using Mazda 323 mechanicals in a body designed by Ghia. It was intended from the start to be a Ford Australia export model for the US market. Problems with parts and production delayed export until the 1991 model year. While heavier than the Miata, the Capri was saddled with a base SOHC engine of 1.6 liters that produced a mere 82  horsepower. Buyers could option up to a 1.6 liter DOHC turbo with 134 horsepower, but that was only available with a 5-speed manual. The initial teething problems with parts, roofs leaking, low  power output, and front-wheel drive left shoppers skeptical. Only 66,279 Capris were produced.

So which of these 1989 Sports Cars would you own if you could turn back time?

With yesterday's report that the Hyundai Sonata and Kia K5/Optima may not be replaced at the end of their cycle, it has become clear that the mid-size family sedan in the U.S. has become an endangered species.  The current Sonata and K5 are expected to last until at least 2025, but if they do in fact end, the number of mid-size sedans offered in the market will dwindle to 4. For perspective, that is the same number of mini-van models currently on offer. (Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Pacifica/Voyager, Kia Carnival).

The remaining sedans are Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, stalwarts in this niche, the Nissan Altima, and the Subaru Legacy.  The Chevrolet Malibu, while still listed on the Chevy website has a questionable future as GM stopped taking orders for the Malibu back in February, and while there has been no official announcement, with sales in the mid-30k unit range and mostly going to fleets, we can't expect GM to keep it going for long.  For now, the Camry seems safe as Toyota is able to continue to keep sales rates above the 300k unit mark, but sales of the Accord have dropped by 52% from 2014. The Nissan Altima is off by more than 1/3 from volumes just 5 years ago while the Legacy sedan has fallen the most, dropping by 62% since 2016.

The first big selling mid-size sedan to get the ax was the Dodge Avenger.  Since then the Chrysler 200, Ford Fusion, Volkswagen Passat, Mazda 6, and Buick Regal have all joined the list of dead mid-size sedan lines.  The large family sedan class has fared even worse with only the aging Nissan Maxima, Chrysler 300, and Dodge Charger remaining once the Toyota Avalon stops production in August and joins the Chevy Impala, Buick Lacrosse, and Ford Taurus in that great junkyard in the sky. Stellantis has indicated no clear plans to replace their aging sedans and seems to continue producing them mostly out of inertia. The 300 is expect to soldier on for another year with no replacement while the Charger might be replaced in 2024.

Once the most common silhouette in the American automotive landscape, the 3-box sedan is rapidly becoming a niche market as buyers flock to crossovers. 

While Hyundai owns a controlling interest in Kia and they share a significant amount of technology, they still operate as somewhat independent companies. For that reason, Kia needs a luxury brand to match.

Genesis Proved the Playbook Works

Hyundai officially launched its Genesis luxury brand in the US in 2016 with the G90, the replacement for the Hyundai Equus. Since then, Genesis has rapidly evolved into a true luxury automaker with three sedans and 3 SUVs. My recent drives in Genesis vehicles gave me the impression that Genesis is Hyundai's torpedoes to the Mercedes-Benz's Bismark. With its sumptuous ride, coddling interior, and robust engines, Genesis proves this. But as fantastic a job as Genesis has done with its lineup; it won't appeal to everyone. On the scale of luxury, Genesis is clearly towards the chic comfort end of the spectrum. There is a whole other end of the spectrum that is more about sport and activity that the Hyundai could cover as well.

Kia's Sporty Luxury Opportunity

This is where Kia comes in. While Genesis focuses on comfort, Kia should form a luxury brand to cover the BMW / Jaguar / Land Rover side of things. While Kia is moving up in the world, like Volkswagen, they will never be considered a luxury brand while a Soul full of hamsters is sitting in their showrooms. Kia needs to photocopy Genesis' playbook from 2016 and build a luxury brand of their own that focuses on sportiness. Let's call the brand KLB for now.

Where KLB Could Start

KLB can start by poaching the Kia Stinger and moving the styling and materials upmarket to compete with the BMW 3-Series. Create a new, rugged and luxurious version of the Kia Borrego / Mohave, the rear-wheel-drive SUV that left the US after 2009 but is still in production in other markets, to take on the likes of the Land Rover Discovery/Defender and Lexus GX. After that, share platforms with Genesis but with an outdoorsy (for the SUVs) and sporty (for the sedans) will fill out the rest of the lineup. Where a Genesis SUV is curvy, the KLB should be boxy.

Electrified Luxury Is the Future

Where a Genesis sedan is soft, a KLB sedan should be firm. Beyond those styling and materials differences, the Genesis powertrain lineup could carry over unchanged. Genesis plans to make a big push into electrification in the next few years — they're already working on a high-performance hybrid coupe — and so does Land Rover. Giving KLB an electrified competitor to the Defender and 5-series would gain customers for the Hyundai group that might otherwise look elsewhere.

Do we really need another luxury brand? Some may say no, but I say if anyone is going to do it, it should be Kia. And with models like the 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid pushing ever further upmarket, the case only gets stronger.

In 2007 the auto media was projecting that GM might fall from being the worlds largest auto company in production terms. In 2009, the final numbers proved that Toyota Motor Corporation had surpassed GM as the worlds largest auto company by production numbers. Also Toyota was growing in sales of their Hybrid line under the Prius moniker.

Fast forward to 2021, battery electric auto's are all the rage by auto companies. Toyota production of auto's in Japan has 50% of them exported to other countries such as the Prius Hybrid and TRD Trucks. The CEO of Toyota has stated that the country is a "export-reliant country" and by shifting Japan as well as other countries shifting to BEVs and requiring production to be local, jobs will be lost. Toyota says up to 5.5 million jobs will be lost by going to BEV's versus keeping Hybrids going and moving to Hydrogen which will achieve the reduction in green house gas but also keep people working.

The largest part of this argument is that Toyota shifted heavy resources to Hydrogen as the future of the auto industry and trucking industry while companies like GM supported Hydrogen research but also was still looking at electric auto's. This does make one think that Toyota also thought Tesla might just be an anomaly that would go away and yet did not have a full embrace by Tech workers all over the world and Europe. China then also choose to go with electric over hydrogen auto's and this found Toyota to be behind everyone else that had chosen to follow China with focusing on electric auto's.

Rivian has also done what no one else had done before and that was to focus on electric auto's as Life Style vehicles.

With this, it should come as no surprise that folks that have been turned off by Tesla have gravitated to Rivian for those wanting an electric vehicle. In the latest Rivian is no Tesla story on CNN Business, it is an interesting observation that many of the reservation holders have stated that they are waiting to replace their 4 Runner or Prius with a Rivian R1T or R1S auto. The down to earth approach of the CEO RJ, life style focus and environmental messages that feel sincere is what has driven people to pre-order the Rivian auto's. With production now in full swing, one has to wonder what Toyota will do as they loose customers to Rivian.

As per multiple news stories about Rivian lately, it seems many Toyota Customers are waiting to get a new Rivian. This has shown in Fords Conquest sales of the Mach-E at a 70% conquest rate for people switching from other brands to the Mach-e. Ford has also taken a page from Rivian's marketing in pushing the Mach-E as a life style BEV for Tailgating and on the road Parties.

Ford has just recently announced the Ford F-150 Lightning electric truck lineup which has already sold out the first year production as they offer both commercial and retail versions of the truck.

As the official largest truck seller for decades in the US, this will make it even harder for Toyota as Ford also enters the electric truck market at a much lower price over the luxury truck from Rivian.

Even with the latest update of the Toyota Tundra:

Toyota faces a monumental challenge in just getting to be competitive with the American truck builders due to the extensive assortment of cabs and beds that are offered along with power trains and now electric as you also have GM entering the Life Style electric auto market with their Hummer by GMC twins of a truck and SUV. As GMC has marketed the worlds first SuperTrucks! 1,000 HP with WATTS to Freedom mode.

This makes one question how a company that thinks Hydrogen is better and invested in the first Hydrogen fueling stations in California can over come the growth of the pure electric market with people able to charge anywhere especially at home over night. Be is a slow 110V charge, 220V or 440V, Toyota is going to have a hard time as the populations in Europe, China and North America move to electric auto's for the future.

Even those that are not fans of Trucks or SUVs but like the performance will have their own Life Style electric option as Dodge rolls out their BEV's.

Toyota has recently committed to spending $13.6 Billion on Solid State Battery technology as they work to catch up with the rest of the auto industry. They believe their Rav 4 Hybrid and pretty much every other product they have can hold them with Hybrids till BEVs are ready, but in a fickle market place, where Tesla is loosing market share to Rivian and Ford, how can Toyota hold onto their global industry lead?

This brings up another question that has to be asked, is Ford ready to be the global leader in Auto sales as they lead the push into a full electric portfolio? What about Rivian as it is backed by Ford and especially by Amazon with a decades long contract to deliver electric vans for package delivery. Could this be what allows Rivian to rise to one of the top auto builders in the next decade?

What are your thoughts on this, could the resistance to electric auto's by Toyota be their downfall?

Who do you think might become the industry leader in auto manufacturing by the end of this Decade, 2030?

Toyota Passes GM To Become #1 (cnbc.com)

Rivian is no Tesla. That's exactly what these EV buyers want - CNN

Tesla’s BEVs vs. Toyota’s hybrids: the battle for the future of low emission cars - Energy Post

Report: Toyota Working Against EV Shift (thetruthaboutcars.com)

Toyota’s Chief Says Electric Vehicles Are Overhyped - WSJ

Toyota President Akio Toyoda: All-EV plan wrong for Japan | Automotive News (autonews.com)

A complete shift to EVs could cost Japan millions of jobs, cautions Toyota CEO (hindustantimes.com)

News | Ford Media Center

Auto enthusiast have since the dawn of the car had a desire to go faster and in this, the 2 door, 2 person auto was the focus of go fast compared to the 4 door, 4 or 5 person sedan and especially in comparison to CUVs, SUVs and Trucks.

Yet in the last few decades we have seen performance Trucks and SUVs / CUVs that have gotten close to what some call Muscle Cars. Even some specialty sedans like the Chevrolet SS of recent decades has also introduced performance fun to the family.

Tesla burst onto the scene in the early 2000's and had a Roadster that blew people away that could afford such a novelty with it's gut pounding acceleration. Later came the Tesla S with performance that rivaled many if not just about all of the industry made auto's while not yet beating the European Luxury brands such as Ferrari, Lamborghini or even the Chevrolet Corvette or the top of the line Mustang and Camaro.

Continue to speed forward to this current decade and we now have the Tesla S Plaid sedan that truly makes one question how does an ICE Muscle car compete?

Is the Answer in how Dodge has approached the electric auto?

Dodge Announces Electric Muscle Car for 2024 – Robb Report

While Dodge seems to imply that we will still have a 2 door muscle car, the rumor mill has been going crazy that both the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro will go to a 4 door performance sedan. The amount of Photoshopped versions have been crazy as we see Camaro's like this one done by X-TOMI Design.

Then we also have the 4 door Mustang Design, not a warmed over version of the Mach-e but an actual photoshop of what a 4 door mustang would look like.

On top of this change with Tesla currently leading the way with the fastest 4 door sedans is that even in the Top End Luxury market, we have companies like Lamborghini that has shown off a 4 door electric performance sedan.

This has been followed up by Bugatti stating that they are exploring the change over to a 4 door performance electric sedan replacing their 2 door versions. In 2009 Bugatti showed off their Galibier 16C powered by the big W16 engine and now they are looking at this as the possible future for the brand as a BEV.

We also have brands such as Audi who have decided to stick to the top end being luxury sedans with an electric A9 that will be built on the next generation platform that will also be used by Porsche. Originally planned to be released in 2020, it has been delayed a few years due to the Global pandemic.

So we have the high end of luxury brands helping to pay for lower tier electric auto's and the global auto industry is now focused on converting over product lines by 2030, 3025 and 2040 depending on which brand you read about.

It would be safe to say it is not if but when a product line will be changed over to electric and clearly Ford, Dodge and Chevrolet have been clear that they see their muscle cars will carry on to 2030 in various forms. Yet one cannot ignore the writing on the wall about electrification.

As such, it brings the question for discussion here:

Will the Traditional American Muscle Car stay 2 doors or go 4 doors?

If we go by these stories, it would seem a sure bet that the Camaro electric replacement for the ICE version is 4 doors.

There Will Be a New Camaro-But It's a 4-Door Sedan: No! (motorbiscuit.com)

The Chevy Camaro Will Be Replaced by an All-Electric Sedan: Report – Robb Report

The Chevrolet Camaro Will Be Replaced by 4-Door Electric Sedan - Maxim

Chevy Camaro will reportedly be reborn as all-electric, four-door sedan | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com)

The Chevy Camaro Is Reportedly Being Replaced by a 4-Door Electric Sedan - BMW Autoelectrician (bmw-autoelectrician.com)

Then we have the rumor mill at it about the Ford Mustang, will it move to 4 doors?

Ford Mustang Mach-F Looks Like a Four-Door Electric Pony Car to Rival Tesla - autoevolution

This brings us back to the reason for writing this editorial is to bring up the discussion among people:

• What is a future muscle car?
• Will the Traditional American Muscle Car stay 2 doors or go 4 doors?
• Will Chevrolet Camaro become a 4 door Muscle Car?
• Will Ford Mustang become a 4 door Muscle Car?
• Is the Dodge Challenger with 2 doors and electric still a muscle car?

I encourage people to ask themselves these questions and sound off in the comment section on what they believe the future of Muscle cars will be and why.

Bugatti might replace Chiron with a four-door with electric powertrain - Luxurylaunches

Lamborghini electric four-door GT sedan in development for 2025, report says (autoweek.com)

2020 Audi A9 C E-Tron,The Four-Door Luxury Electric Car ! (autonews-mag.com)

The news came during dinner last Monday. My mother asked if I would be able to take any time off of work, and I said that I might be able to if the circumstances were considered important. She revealed that my grandfather, her dad passed away that afternoon. It wasn’t from COVID-19, but other complications that had put in him the hospital since early June. After dinner, I needed some time and space to begin processing the news. So I grabbed the keys to my car and went for a drive.

The past few months have been difficult for all of us in varying degrees with COVID-19. Many places going on lockdown have caused massive disruptions to how we work, travel, and interact with the world. I have been hunkered down at home since mid-March when my employer announced our office would be closed for the time being, and we would be working from home. During the first month or so, I had put a moratorium on driving except for essential places such as the grocery store or pharmacy. Isolating to prevent catching and/or spreading the virus took priority over going for a drive. But after a month of just being in a house with family and doing the same things over and over, I was going stir crazy. 

I realized that I needed some space to not only prevent myself from losing it, but to give me some room to think about everything floating in my mind. Going for daily walks either by myself or with the dog helped a bit. But I still felt like I needed some more space, more time to myself.

Back in 2015, I wrote an Afterthoughts column titled The Escape Machine. I talked about how the car for some of us was a way to escape the world for a time. You could go anywhere depending on how much fuel was in the tank and give the space needed to clear or process whatever was on the mind. I ended the piece with these two lines,

Quote

Sometimes, it's necessary to hop into your escape machine and drive wherever it takes you to clear or process things in your mind.

It just comes down to you to make the decision.

That decision for me came in late April/early May. I would go for long drives, provided that I would wear a mask if I got out to go for a walk. Going for the first drive in over a month was a bit of revelation. Turing the steering wheel, pressing down on the accelerator and brake; and watching the world go past in blur made me realize how much I missed this. This seems like a trope, but you have a newfound appreciation for something you haven’t done in some time. This also gave me the space to begin piecing together various thoughts such as how do I keep myself from falling into the endless pit of despair, what can I do to keep myself from feeling bored, and do I dive back into automotive writing.

I didn’t know how important this would become in the coming weeks as COVID-19 cases increased, the economy would come to a screeching halt; and the murder of George Floyd and the ensuing fallout. Whenever my mind would become overwhelmed or I just get too frustrated, I would hop into my vehicle and go somewhere. It didn’t matter where or how long, just as long as I had some space to think or to calm down, it would be enough.

Back to last Monday night. As I drove, there was a lot I needed to process in terms of grief and wondering what would happen next: Would there be a funeral, what precautions should I take, will it be a long ceremony, and so on. I didn’t come up with any clear answers to these questions, but having that time to start putting things into perspective helped. 

It was on the way back that another thought popped into my head. At the moment, we’re all trying to find some sense of normal in a world that isn’t. For auto enthusiasts, that is to drive as it gives some sort of control. It may be a small thing, but they provide some much-needed comfort.

Like many of us, I don’t what the rest of year holds if it continues to be a landfill fire or somehow begins to contain itself. But I do know that I’ll likely be taking more drives, whether that be my car or one that I’m reviewing. Having something that provides a sense of normal is welcomed.

*Note: this isn’t my opinion. This article is more to spark a discussion. I love #savethemanuals. With that, please enjoy a controversial article.

Some people are fans of electric cars. Others regale the days of the glorious V12s which are now few-and-far in-between. Same goes for interiors. While the days of analog gauges, non-infotainment systems, and simple controls hearken back to an easier time, trends are making those just memories. Most people, car lovers or not, accept changes to vehicles. Fuel economy, safety, performance, and technology are constantly evolving. However, there is one aspect of vehicles that isn't sport or performance-based that needs to go away. The manual transmission. 

If you’re reading this and are a #savethemanuals fan, you probably hate me for talking about ditching the manual transmission. I’m sure the comments are not going to be the most positive. Granted, my thought process of manual transmissions is not new. Performance companies such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, and McLaren don’t have manual transmissions anymore. There is a reason why there has been a campaign for over ten years called #savethemanuals and fans rejoice when a car has either a standard or optional manual transmission. 

Should they be completely taken off the map? No. I believe sports cars and performance vehicles should still have the option of a manual transmission. The Porsche911 and 718 range and Toyota’s 86 both have a manual as optional or standard. Even “hot-hatchbacks” such as the Honda Civic Type R and the VW Gold GTI/R have manuals, with the manual being the only transmission for the Civic Type R. Do they expect to sell a lot of them? Transmission wise, no, but owners of this type of vehicle want to shift the car themselves. I will admit that cost and upkeep of a manual is cheaper before you count replacing the clutch.

This brings me to a few different complaints. First, “I feel one with the car.” Excellent! But I feel one with a car that has an excellent automatic or dual-clutch transmission. Inexpensive cars such as a Nissan Versa or Honda Fit seem ok with a manual, but what’s the point then? Feeling one with a car that’s $14,000 doesn’t seem to make sense. If you’re spending that much for a new car, why not get a more fun or practical car with a manual if that’s all you want? To me, feeling one with the car means I know what’s going on constantly with the tires, suspension, and brakes. I also do know what’s going on with my transmission because of complaint number two.

“Rowing gears”. You start out at first gear, accelerate while shifting to a certain gear, and go down to second gear when you turn a corner. That’s what I did in my Volkswagen GTI with the DSG gearbox. For me, I didn’t really “row gears” the same way you would in a manual, but I did get to choose which gear I wanted to be in. Choice is what manual only drivers like. They can be in the tallest gear such as 6th or 7th and drop instantly to 2nd for a tight corner. Slight problem with that. Thanks to advanced automatic gearboxes that are constantly evolving, vehicles with automatics can shift manually. Not just let the car rev a little bit, but let the car stay in one gear all the way to the top of the rev range. Thanks to paddle-shifters, shifting can feel more fun and like a race-car.

Speaking of race-cars, complaint number three is “manuals are quicker around a track compared to an automatic.” There is some truth to this but remember the types of vehicles we are talking about. This isn’t about a BMW M4 or a Porsche 911. These are vehicles that probably cost under $50,000. We are talking vehicles like the Honda Accord. Can you take a manual or an automatic Accord around a track? Sure. It would be hilarious to see a brand-new Accord go against another brand-new Accord, but it would be pointless. You don’t buy these to go on a track. 

So, with the complaints out of the way, why do I think automatics are better? They’re fast. There is a reason that high-performance vehicles are ditching the manual for the automatic. Even in mundane vehicles, clever automatics such as dual-clutch automated manual transmissions can be faster than their manual counterpart. Driving in rush hour traffic or through a city is easier with an automatic. You can change gears the way you want and once driving becomes frustrating, switch the car into Drive and you’re set to go. With technology advancing, the automatic transmission is also evolving. Granted, I still don’t like the CVT transmission.  That said, we now have automatics with more gears, faster shifts, and better fuel economy. When was the last time you saw a hybrid or a plug-in hybrid with a manual? 

Before I end, I have to say this: this article only applies to car owners in the United States. If you travel out of the country frequently, you will certainly be in countries where you need to know how to drive a manual. Otherwise, the manual transmission is already going the way of the CD changer. It’s just unnecessary to have to shift gears yourself if the car isn’t made for performance. Granted, with the rise of electric vehicles, we soon may see a #savetheautomatics as a hashtag. 

What is your opinion? Are you livid with me bashing the sacred manual transmission and will only drive manual? Do you care what transmission you have, or do you only drive automatic? Leave a comment below and follow us on social media. 
 

In my previous article, I praised four-door coupes. I love how they look in exchange for lost practicality while making up for the latter with charm and class. This is fine because they’re usually based on regular coupes or sedans. Great. Unfortunately, BMW had to mess things up. They had the excellent X5 and thought to themselves with a German accent: “We need to appeal to even fewer people. What if… we make the X5 ugly and harder to see out of?” Hence, the BMW X6 was born. Excellent, thank you, BMW. It sold well and now Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Acura at one point, and even Lamborghini have SUVs with raked rooflines. There must be a reason why I like sedan to coupe to four-door coupes compared to these SUV-coupes, right?

When BMW first introduced the X6, Top Gear had Jeremy Clarkson review it on their show. He said the same things I was thinking. The X6 is a worse version of the X5 that isn’t good off-road. Now, I know that they set up some things to make the review of the X6 more scathing, but two points hit home. It’s an uglier version of the X5 that isn’t as good and has worse visibility. You would think that a power-house journalist like Clarkson, combined with that review, would have BMW scared that their new vehicle would go down in history as one of those “one-hit wonders.” Nope. That didn’t happen.

Instead, BMW sold enough to “justify” a few different events. Mercedes-Benz got onto the bandwagon. They created the GLE coupe as well as the GLC coupe. It was the same concept as the X6: Make the SUVs uglier, less space, and “look like a coupe.” Out of all the Japanese manufacturers, Acura went in with the ZDX, one of the ugliest SUVs to walk the earth. It was based on the MDX and was given a body that no one wanted. If you’ve seen more than two ZDXs in the flesh, leave a comment below. BMW then created a smaller of the X6, dubbed the X4, to go against Mercedes’s GLC coupe. Audi jumped in the fray with their Q8 SUV. The Germans really like making niches that no one asked for. Now, Porsche has created the Cayenne coupe. Excellent. 

At this point, I usually try to give some good points to balance the article. I’ll try my best to get a few in here. Since these are all SUVs, most have standard or optional all-wheel drive to help in the Midwest or states that get a good amount of snow. They also have high ground clearance and tall driving positions like a regular SUV so you can see over cars. You must remember that these are close to or the same as their regular SUV counterparts. The X6 gets a fire-breathing X6M version with over 500 HP from a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8. Unnecessary but fantastic. I understand that style is in the eye of the beholder, which is why people go after these vehicles.

    
If you can’t tell, I am not a fan of these, which BMW labels “Sports-Activity Coupes.” Do you want a SAC in your life? I know I don’t. The regular SUVs they are based on are usually more handsome, have more space, and cost a good amount less. There are powerful versions and hybrid versions, so people have a choice. Why were these created? Because why not. Would I recommend an X6 over an X5? No. Never. Will people still buy? Sure. These help companies like Porsche continue to make sports cars. Regular SUVs do the same. Wait… should you get a regular SUV over the limited hatchbacks and wagons we have available in the United States? I think… you should read my next article to find out.

What are your thoughts? Do you own or like SUV coupes? Are you like me and think they’re pointless? Leave a comment below and like/interact with Cheers and Gears on social media! 
 

Thanks, Mercedes-Benz. You created a car that literally no one asked for. What did they do? Well, in the early 2000s, they went to their E-Class, removed the hideous body, and replaced it with a different body. The new body looked like a coupe, but it had…four doors. With this, Mercedes-Benz created the “four-door coupe.” Let’s be honest—this vehicle, called the CLS, was beautiful. AMG created powerful versions that made the CLS even more appealing. Mercedes-Benz created a segment that nobody really asked for, but it worked. Granted, it cost more than the E-Class and was less practical. Both cars have been redesigned within the last few years, but these vehicles pose a question: Is a four-door coupe worth it?

Audi, BMW, and Porsche saw that people liked the CLS and decided to create their own four-door coupes. Some of them are labeled as “coupes.” some are labeled as “fastbacks.” Once again, most of these vehicles minus Porsche’s Panamera are based on normal sedans that first turned into regular coupes and then into four-door coupes. Once again, these are less practical than the regular vehicles off which they are based. Except for BMW, manufacturers Audi, Porsche, and Mercedes-Benz all have or will have wagon versions in the United States that are more practical and cost less. Some come standard or have optional two seats in the rear compared to three. But other than for less space, why buy them? It’s all about style!

Audi’s A7 lineup started in 2010. It was a beautiful and sleek alternative to the A6. At the time, there weren’t any high-performance version of an A6 wagon, but there was the RS7. Fantastic car! It had the interior and build quality of Audi along with a great-looking body. The A7 lineup has been redesigned and the interior is completely different than the rest of Audi’s vehicles. No wait, it’s exactly the same interior of the A6. As of right now, the brand new RS7 has arrived to compete with the Germans. It is more of a “fastback” with a large opening in the trunk, and the rear seats do have some compromise with the sloping rear end but that is a flaw that all of these vehicles have. Would I have the RS7 over the RS6 wagon when it comes out? Hard to tell but for now, the RS7 is a fantastic car.

BMW used to have something called the 6 Series Gran Coupe. This was based on the 6 Series coupe, which was based on the 5 Series sedan. Seeing a trend? As with Audi, the interior was the same as the 6-series coupe and the 5-series sedan. At the time, the 6 Series Gran Coupe was also a great-looking vehicle. Did it have its compromises? Absolutely. There was an M6 Gran Coupe that competed with Audi and Porsche and could be a grand touring vehicle. The 6 Series is gone, and we have the 8 Series. Soon, there will be the 8 Series Gran Coupe and I suspect it will be a bigger version of the 6 Series Gran Coupe. 

Porsche’s Panamera is the only vehicle here that isn’t based on a humdrum sedan. The first-generation Panamera was…ugly. My goodness was it ugly. Did it have good tech and fantastic engines and semi-act like a Porsche? Yes. Did others buy it mainly for the badge and ignore it for how it looked? Yes. The second generation rectified the styling of the Panamera and Porsche created a high-performance version plug-in hybrid with over 650 HP. The interior is like the Cayenne SUV and Porsche’s own wagon, the Sport Turismo. It’s become one of the best-selling Porsches behind the SUVs, which isn’t surprising. 

What has Mercedes-Benz been up to? Oh, they now have two four-door coupes. One is an updated CLS, and the other is a fire-breathing vehicle called the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-door Coupe. Mercedes didn’t want people to get confused about what that AMG GT 4-door is. At first, you ask “why have two when they’re about the same size and do share one engine?” The CLS is more of a lower and less performance-oriented version of the AMG GT 4-door Coupe. It has less powerful engines and is less expensive. Its sister car is all about performance and is seen as the four-door version of the regular AMG GT vehicles, although it isn’t just a stretched AMG GT. There is one engine that both cars have and they have the “Mercedes-AMG 53” designation with a 3.0-liter turbocharged incline-6 producing 429 HP. Between the two, I would save the $20,000 and get myself the $79,000 CLS. Or, spend $159,000 for the 4.0L V8 Biturbo, which has 630 HP.

My thoughts on these vehicles: I love most of them. There are 4-door coupes such as the Volkswagen Arteon, which was the CC, but I haven’t driven one so I can’t give too much information. Out of all the vehicles I listed, my favorite ones are the Audi A7/RS7 and the Mercedes-AMG too long of a name or the AMG 4-door Coupe. Both have incredible style, technology, and performance. As I said, I like four-door coupes. That said, there is a niche within a niche that I must talk about. SUV-coupes. 

What do you think? Do you like, own, or are interested in four-door coupes? Do you think they spoil the name “coupe” and are not real coupes? Comment below and make sure to follow us on social media. 
 

A friend of mine has a 2016 Subaru Legacy 3.6R. It’s a very safe car, has a good interior, and a rather weak engine. Oh, it also has a CVT or continuously variable transmission. When I talked with him while he took me for a spin, he told me he doesn’t mind the CVT and it is smooth for his Lyft passengers. While being a passenger in his car, the CVT did act like a conventional transmission, although it did dip in the rev range lower than usual. Then he floored it. Drone. It stayed at 3,000 RPM for at least five minutes. It was extremely annoying, but not surprising. Let me explain how a CVT works, and how I think manufacturers need to stop using them.

Nerd moment approaching. You will learn many facts and you are welcome. As a surprise, a CVT is an automatic transmission. Manufacturers use this to improve fuel economy. What isn’t surprising is how they work. Instead of using traditional gears, a CVT uses a combination of pullies that are connected by a belt and “steps” . Steps are artificial gears which are preset and made so buyers feel like they’re getting a convenient transmission. Some CVTs, especially in hybrids, tend to not have steps to maximize fuel economy. They are more less compared to traditional transmissions, even 10-speed automatics, but manufacturers think they are worth it. Are they?

I do have to point out the positives, no matter how much I dislike this transmission. They can be smooth. Since there is no actual shifting, when a CVT wants to behave, acceleration can feel less jerky compared to a traditional transmission. CVTs have infinite ratios, so they can find the right…ratio…to assist not only with seamless power. They do help with fuel economy which is part of the reason why most Toyota hybrids have forgone the traditional automatic transmission in favor of the CVT. 

Positive points over, let’s shift to what I hate about the CVT. First, You won’t find a CVT in a powerful car over 300 HP. They just can’t handle all that power!  Like I said in the first paragraph, they can drone and be almost obnoxiously loud. I once drove a Honda Accord Hybrid in Colorado, and it decided to stick to 4,000 RPM at 60 mph. For 2 hours. Needless to say, the average sounding sound system was necessary to drown out the noise. My biggest issue with any CVT is that it robs the driver of spirited and fun driving. I have never driven a CVT, gotten out of the car, and said “Wow, this was really fun. I’m glad that this engine and transmission combination exist.”

Now, which companies are the biggest culprits? Japanese companies. Toyota, Nissan, Subaru, and Honda all use CVTs in mostly all their vehicles, and in all of their hybrids. A few other companies such as Audi will use a CVT in their cheaper models, but most of their cars use dual-clutch automatics or traditional automatics. A disappointment of a vehicle created with a CVT is the Infiniti QX50. It is a handsome looking vehicle with a unique turbocharged engine and…a CVT. Basically, it’s ruined because of the CVT. 

I understand why manufacturers use CVTs    due to how smooth it can be along with the increase in MPG , but they just seem to ruin the cars. I don’t understand why they can’t use dual-clutch automated manual or 8-10 speed automatics? These transmissions are getting better all the time. Manufacturers, stop with the CVTs! They are not necessary! Just use regular transmissions! They can return similar MPG, drive smooth, and won’t stick to 4,000 RPM for 2 hours while in Colorado.  I can safely say that I hate the CVT, and I think that I’m not the only one. 

Have you driven a vehicle with a CVT and either liked or disliked it? Did you decide not to buy a vehicle with a CVT or were you sold on the two benefits it has? Let us know in the comments below and follow us on social media.
 

Imagine you’re me: someone who has used 0-60 MPH to judge how fast a car is. If a car is slower than 8.0 seconds, I wouldn’t poke it with a 10-foot pole. If it’s faster than 4.0 seconds, I cling to it to feel the rush and acceleration. That was until I was a short-lived car salesman and automotive blogger. As a car salesman, I found out that people didn’t understand or care that their vehicle did 0-60 MPH in 6.7 seconds. As a blogger, performance enthusiasts did care, but there are other statistics that mattered more. When I combine both, which happened at different parts of my life so there was no conflict of interest, I found out that 0-60 MPH has a few flaws.

Let’s start with the obvious question: “Anthony, why do we measure performance with 0-60 MPH? That sounds really random and weird.” The obvious answer: Americans aren’t exactly the most informed about the metric system. Non-obvious answer: In the metric system, the measurement for performance is 0-100 kilometers per hour or KPH. That translates roughly to 62 MPH, which is rounded down to 60 MPH. Due to this, all vehicles are judged on how quickly they can accelerate to this number. 

Part of me understands why we measure this. It’s ingrained in us that these numbers matter. As I said, I would rather take a car that would go from 0-60 in 4 seconds compared to 8 seconds. Especially with electric car manufacturers like Tesla, 0-60 times are plummeting. It is fun to drive something that you know is going to be fast because of these numbers. For enthusiasts, knowing a car’s basic stats like 0-60 MPH makes it simple to pick between different vehicles.  These measurements can also be skewed. Like trying to weigh yourself on different scales, 0-60 MPH times can vary. Sometimes they are even quicker than what the manufacturer says while other times they can be a full second slower. So, this all makes sense now, right?

No. No, it doesn’t. Problem number one: Who goes from 0-60 MPH as quickly as they can? I know I don’t.  Here are a few ways that, combined, make up this number. Most cars have a sport mode that can make the car faster by making the engine more vivacious. Combine this with something called launch-control which is used to “launch” the car as easily as possible—cars are measured and given their number.

These measurements aren’t accurate because not everyone will get the same results. Like trying to weigh yourself on different scales, 0-60 MPH times can vary. Sometimes they are even quicker than what the manufacturer says while other times they can be a full second slower. Can I try to go 0-60 MPH? Sure, but on public roads, it just doesn’t make sense. I live in the suburbs far enough from Chicago that the roads are usually under construction with many police officers who want to pull you over for going too fast. I also live by a highway that can get to 70 MPH after about 20 miles. Even on the highway, I can probably count a few times I went from 0-60 MPH, and it was a lot slower than what VW told me.

Problem number two: People don’t understand or care. When I was selling a German luxury brand, I would spout out all the facts and figures I knew about the vehicle. One of them would be the horsepower, along with the torque and 0-60 MPH figures. Most of them didn’t care unless we were talking about the performance versions of the car. Instead, they would rank how the car feels on the road, how the car does on the highway, technology, fuel economy, and looks. Yes, performance can factor into this but if you want a hybrid or a frugal vehicle, you either know it won’t be as fast as a BMW M3 or don’t really care since you’ll get almost triple the fuel economy.

Problem number three: Bragging rights. “My brand-new car can go 0-60 MPH in 3.5 seconds!” “Wow!” Then you get in and drive at 35 MPH. Like horsepower figures, 0-60 MPH is the benchmark for performance. Because of this, if you own a car with a lower 0-60 MPH time, you might be considered one of the cool kids. Once again, electric manufacturers like Tesla make some seriously quick cars, but that isn’t the entire story. Off the line, their cars will feel like a rocket but at certain speeds, like at 70 MPH, that figure doesn’t matter anymore. 

What should we do instead of measuring in just 0-60 MPH? I think we should start at different speeds. On the highway, sometimes you must go 20 or 30 to 60 or 70 MPH or faster on passing speeds. Also, we should judge cars based on more than just straight-line performance. A car can be extremely quick off the line, but if it doesn’t feel right when you drive it, the speed doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, stats are meaningless unless you drive what you’re interested in unless it’s some 2.6 seconds 0-60 MPH Ferrari. In this case, just fire up Forza or Gran Turismo. 

Thoughts and opinions? Think 0-60 MPH or 0-100 KPH times are the king of statistics? Let us know in the comments below and follow us on social media!

Germany. Known for impeccable engineering, German vehicles usually have cutting-edge technology and are status symbols. Sweden. The Swedish are known for safety, and even though the only brand from Sweden is Volvo, they want to have a sleek design while making vehicles easy to drive. South Korea. In my opinion, South Korea is doing a great job with their vehicles. Creating Genesis as a stand-alone brand was genius because they can have vehicles close to or competing with the Germans while costing thousands of dollars less.

What vehicles did I choose from these three countries? First, we have the Genesis G70. The particular G70 I am talking about is the G70 3.3T. It can compete directly with the Germans in terms of performance and safety features. Next, we have the Volvo S60 T6. It ties the Audi S5 Sportback in terms of exterior and interior looks and follows the tradition of being a Swedish car that focuses on safety which a hint of performance. The powertrain may be a little odd, but I’ll discuss engines and performance later. The black sheep here is a used Audi S5 Sportback? Why this car and not an S4? Simple, the S4 is too plain. The S5 Sportback is a good-looking car with performance similar to the Genesis, but a new one’s cost puts it in a different bracket.

There is a reason why I’m using these vehicles. Price and performance. First, price. Options I look for such as blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, digital displays, all-wheel-drive, and heated/ventilated seats push up the prices for these three from $50,000-$53,000. Although the G70 and Volvo can be bought for around $40,000, a few options bump their prices up. Let’s dive into what I recommend for each car.

Not a surprise, the Genesis G70 comes in at $50,000. You can get a Sport Package, but I would go with the Prestige Package because it has a heads-up display, surround-view monitoring that makes parking easy, and advanced safety features with a feature to not his pedestrians. That last feature is very helpful in a city like Chicago with Chicagoans crossing the street anywhere. 

Volvo’s S60 T6 has three trim levels, and I would go with the Inscription. You can pick an interior that isn’t just black as well as a Harman Kardon sound system. Two packages I recommend are the Luxury Package which gives you massaging seats, ventilated seats, and upgraded Nappa leather. The Advanced Package grants you the ability to use Pilot Assist, an almost semi-autonomous system which houses every safety system a car can have. 

A brand spanking new Audi S5 Sportback starts at $52,000 and it being German, the options are expensive and expansive. Although I would recommend the Premium Plus, if you want a head-up display, adaptive cruise control, and parking assist, you must go for the $59,000 Prestige. You can get a Black optic package that changes some of the exterior trim to black, hence the name. Ventilated seats cost $550 with the Warm weather package and a heated steering wheel is $750 in the Cold weather package. Final cost: $63,000, over $10,000 more than the Genesis and Volvo. 

Now for the nerd talk of performance and driving dynamics so if you really don’t care, just go to the last sentence in this paragraph. We have the most powerful car, the Genesis G70, with a turbocharged 3.3-liter V6. Stats: 365 HP and 376-pound feet of torque. 0-60: 4.5 seconds. Next, the Volvo T6. The T6 uses a turbocharged and supercharged 2.0-liter inline 4. Stats: 316 HP and 295-pound feet of torque. 0-60: 5.9 seconds. Finally, the Audi S5 Sportback. Under the hood is a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6.  349 HP and 369-pound feet of torque. 0-60: 4.5 seconds. What does this mean? Two cars are fast, and one car isn’t. There we go.

All vehicles have a sports feature that can change the noise of the engine inside, change how the steering feels, and how much more the engine will rev. If you’re into engine and exhaust noise, the Genesis is king. It is also the most powerful and feels the sportiest when going around a bend or going onto an on-ramp or wolfram. The Volvo has the worst sounding engine and there is a lot of lag because of the unusual engine. Volvo only uses 2.0-liter engines and it really hurts in terms of performance and it is more about cruising than going on twisty curves. Audi’s S5 Sportback is like the G70 in terms of engine noise and performance. Both are quick with V6 engines. In the Audi, the engine sounds good, but the steering feels disconnected. It handles alright but doesn’t feel special.

Interior and infotainment systems are where the Genesis fall behind. The interior does feel luxurious, but the Volvo crushes it. A small infotainment system does it no justice. Volvo’s interior is gorgeous, but the infotainment system does something I hate: it controls almost everything. Why can’t there be regular controls for the climate control? Audi uses digital dials which are simply amazing and it has the best infotainment system. 
Now we get to what the title implies: Who should get which car?

Genesis G70 3.3T: This is the car you get if you are all about those stats and performance. The interior may be lacking a bit, but the standard features make up for that downfall. Its exterior styling is a bit bland so style gurus will want to look elsewhere. Otherwise, this is a wonderful job and I think Genesis should be proud. 8/10

Volvo S60 T6: Simply put, this isn’t a sports sedan. Instead, it is a great long-distance cruiser with so many safety features it can almost drive itself. It has the best looking exterior and interior, but the infotainment system and droning engine let it down. Volvo is doing an amazing job creating beautiful looking vehicles, but I wish they didn’t only use 2.0-liter engines. 7/10

Audi S5 Sportback: New, it’s the most expensive but as a used car, you can get one for a little over $50,000 with around 30,000 miles. Why get this? Because it’s all about that badge, baby! It does have a great interior and the best infotainment system. It ties the Volvo for a beautiful exterior as well. If you can find one as a certified pre-owned vehicle or CPO, you can save about $10,000. 8/10

My personal favorite part: It’s performance facts time!
Genesis G70 3.3T: Turbocharged 3.3-liter V6. Stats: 365 HP and 376-pound feet of torque. 0-60: 4.5 seconds.
Volvo T6: Turbocharged and supercharged 2.0-liter incline 4. Stats: 316 HP and 295-pound feet of torque. 0-60: 5.9 seconds.
Audi S5 Sportback: Turbocharged 3.0-liter V6.  349 HP and 369-pound feet of torque. 0-60: 4.5 seconds. 
What is your opinion? Which car do you think would suit you, and do you own the Audi, Genesis, or Volvo? Leave a comment below.
 

Since the launch of the XT4 with the rather anemic (if more refined) LSY engine, many (including myself) had questioned why GM does not offer the Tripower 310 bhp / 348 lb-ft (L3B) 2.7T 4-cylinder in the XT4 (at least) as an option. To a lesser extent some have also questioned why the LSY is putting out a mere 237bhp / 258 lb-ft whereas the outgoing LTG engine is good for 265~272 bhp / 295 lb-ft. Is it just so that it can have 258 lb-ft arrive @ 1,500 rpm? Now, we have the answer...

It's the 9-speed Automatics.

Adopting the 9-speed automatics is deemed a priority for refinement and fuel economy. The new GM-Ford 9TXX transmissions, jointly developed with Ford promises better fuel economy and better shift quality. There are currently two versions of this transmission:-

• 9T50   -- 258 lb-ft
• 9T65   -- 280 lb-ft

The need to pack 9-speeds into a very slim transmission case meant that they have to use an ovoid cross section torque converter, a tension chain coupling and abandon the high torque capability of the previous generation top dog 6T80 (369 lb-ft) transmissions used in the 410 hp / 368 lb-ft 3.6L Twin-Turbo (LF3) powered Cadillac XTS. The lack of torque capability is also in part why Ford abandoned the use of the GM-Ford 9TXX transmissions, choosing instead to develop an 8-speed evolution of the decade old 6T80 for use in their high torque applications like the Ford Edge ST (2.7L Ecoboost V6 with 335 hp / 380 lb-ft). Ford also asserts that the new 9-speed autos did not yield any fuel economy improvement when tested with their engines and the refinement improvements alone did not justify the costs and weight increases.

The reaction Peugeot’s return to the U.S. Market a couple weeks back falls into three categories.

1. OMG! We're getting exciting French cars again
2. Why is another automaker coming to the U.S.?
3. Split between 1 and 2

I should say that I fall into camp three at the moment. Previously, I was in number one when the rumors began to swirl around about PSA Group - parent company of Peugeot, Citroen, DS, Opel, and Vauxhall - making a possible return in late 2014. The dreams about possibly seeing a small number of Citroen and DS vehicles running around the U.S. sparked some joy. Peugeot was nowhere to be seen in my fantasy as they were seen to be somewhat bland in terms of their design.

But once I had my dream play through my head, I began to wonder if this could work out for PSA Group. Despite being seen as the holy grail to many outside automakers, the U.S. is very notorious to break in and keep going forward. Consider these quotes from a 2016 report in Automotive News (Subscription Required).

Quote

Invading the U.S. auto market takes equal parts chutzpah and sangfroid. There are 42 brands here hawking 283 nameplates in different models and configurations. Some brands have dropped out, while competitive realities have kept other wannabes from ever making a beachhead.

The list of failed and stalled entrants here includes Italy's Fiat and Alfa Romeo -- both of which are currently attempting second assaults after retreating in 1983 and 1995, respectively. It includes Japanese carmakers Daihatsu and Isuzu, South Korea's Daewoo, and China's Chery Automobile.

"People around the world look at the sales volumes going on here, and they look at the fortunes being made here, and they look at what the outlook is in other parts of the world -- and they want to be here," said Charlie Hughes, owner of the brand-consulting firm Brand Rules. Hughes played a key role in introducing the British premium SUV brand Land Rover to the United States in 1987 and was CEO of Mazda North American Operations. 

So when PSA made their official announcement in 2016, some of my worries began to drift away.

Quote

Step one: Enter the U.S. as a mobility operator from 2017, possibly with Bollore,” said Tavares. Bollore is a French company that builds batteries and compact EVs that are mainly used by a French car-sharing service, Autolib. Citroën and Bollore are currently working together to bring a concept EV into production.
Step two: Start up a car-sharing program (i.e. Zipcar, GM's Maven) that would be owned and operated by PSA.
Step three: If the first two steps are successful, PSA could return “to sell cars in the U.S. supported by regional sourcing when appropriate,” Tavares said.

 

PSA would also conduct extensive research into the U.S. marketplace to determine which brand would take the charge. The end goal was to possibly have a brand in the country by 2026. Possibly is the keyword as they made clear that could pass on this idea if various conditions weren't met.

Since that announcement, PSA has been making some inroads into this plan,

• Establishing a North American office and bringing in Larry Dominique (formerly of Nissan and TrueCar) as the head
• Launching a ride-sharing and car sharing app in various U.S. cities
• Starting to develop vehicles for the U.S.

The most recent announcement of Peugeot as the lead brand surely disappointed some folks as the likes of the C4 Cactus and DS5 would not arriving. But the decision does show the amount of thought and work that has been happening behind the scenes. 

Quote

“Even though Peugeot left in 1991 ... the awareness of the brand and the opinion of the brand are still strong. So, we have a strong starting point with which to start the discussion with consumers,” Dominique said.

“There wasn’t any negative association with the brand. A lot of people said, ‘I don’t know why they left’.”

Still, PSA Group and Peugeot still have a tough hill to climb. Reading through the comments on the article written by Drew, there are two common issues pointed out. One is how Peugeot doesn't have anything unique in their lineup. Two is how Peugeot could be entering a marketplace that is possibly on the verge of a recession.

Let's begin with design. Out of all of the brands under the PSA umbrella, Peugeot plays it very much safe in terms of design. While the brand has been taking some risks in the past few years (especially with their interiors) they are no-where near the likes of Citroen. This difference is very apparent in the history of the two brands, 

• Peugeot producing vehicles that were efficient and simple. But some of those design could jump in terms of elegance.
• Citroen pushing the envelope with their designs that are either praised or hated. DS falls under this umbrella as well.

My hunch is that PSA figured that sending either Citroen or DS would be problematic because they might not appeal to consumers, and just sit on lots.

The second reason does hold slightly more water. Signs are beginning to appear that the U.S. economy could be heading towards a recession - a key item being pointed at is the drop in new car sales. If Peugeot was to enter at the present time, the consequences could be severe and put them in a difficult spot.

But as noted, Peugeot will not be arriving until 2026. That's over six years away and in that time, the economy could be recovering from the recession in question. 

Time is also the biggest enemy to Peugeot. In six years time, the U.S. marketplace could be in a completely different state than where it stands now. Crossovers and SUVs dominate the sales charts at the moment, but it might be electric vehicles that become the dominant choice. There are also various regulations that may come into fruition, along with the possibility of new tariffs on vehicles built in Europe.

There’s also the issue of trying to stand out in the U.S. marketplace. Consider this for a moment; there are over forty automakers selling just under 300 or so nameplates. With the prospect of more automakers from China expected to arrive in the next few years, Peugeot might be entering a crowded field. Some of their current models have the looks, but can it combat strong competition that has a long history and reputation in the country?

One item is very clear, PSA Group isn't stupid. They're taking their time and doing a lot of behind the scenes work before introducing their first models in the U.S. Whether or not this proves to the big success or the white flag being raised remains to be seen.

This year was to be the final Detroit Auto Show to take place in January before the big move to an indoor/outdoor festival of sorts next June. Despite a number of manufacturers announcing they would not be at the show, there was some hope for there be to a surprise. Something that would allow the current incarnation of the show to go out with a bang.

That did not happen.

It was thought that Chevrolet would roll out the long-awaited and rumored mid-engined Corvette. But those hopes would be dashed as rumors came out that the project would be delayed up to six months due to a problem with the electrical system. It also gave Toyota a sigh of relief as the Supra wouldn’t be overshadowed by the Corvette - see the Ford GT eating up the attention from the Acura NSX a few years back.

Even with the anticipation of the Supra coming to Detroit, there was nothing that could be described as being memorable. Most of the vehicles that were revealed seemed to be somewhat phoned in.

• We knew a lot about the Supra including how it would look and what would power it before it arrived on stage. CEO Akio Toyoda actually mentioned in the press conference that it was “one of the industry’s worst kept secrets.”
• The refreshed Volkswagen Passat was eclipsed by news that a second plant and 1,000 jobs would be added at Chattanooga, along with becoming a sponsor for U.S. Women’s, Men’s, and Youth National teams.
• Infiniti’s QX Inspiration concept didn’t actually appear at the presentation. It was stuck in the lobby of Cobo Hall due to some sort of malfunction.
   

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Welp, Here’s Infiniti’s concept. Standing somewhat still. #naias #twitter

A post shared by Will Maley (@realmudmonster) on Jan 14, 2019 at 9:13am PST

• The announcement talking about Ford and Volkswagen’s new alliance? The stage appearance was canceled late on Monday. Instead, we got a conference call and press release providing the details.

The big talking point at the show wasn’t about the show. Over the weekend, a water main broke which put most of Downtown Detroit under a boil water advisory. This caused a lot of headaches for visiting media and automotive executives as would have to use bottled water to brush their teeth or wash their hair (this was something I heard a few people mentioned on the show floor). Luckily, I saw this new before heading down to the show and brought a couple liters of water with me to use for tea and brushing my teeth.

But the water main break serves as a good metaphor for this year’s Detroit Auto Show. It felt a bit discombobulated with a number of manufacturers being MIA and organizers trying to figure out what to do. There was also a noticeable lack of energy surrounding the show. Going into the media center at Cobo, I was expecting to be filled with various journalists and other media. To my surprise, it looked and felt the second day of the show where there was a surprising amount of open space to sit down and begin working. Being on the show floor was the same story. I was amazed at how easily I was able to get photos of cars that had been unveiled only 20 to 30 minutes without having to fight a number of people to get a decent shot.

There is a lot riding on the move to June next year with organizers planning something like the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the U.K. There promises to be the ability to ride and drive various new vehicles, self-driving vehicles being demonstrated on public roads, “dynamic vehicle debuts,” and much more. A number of automakers and executives have praised this move.

"I always thought it made sense for Detroit to showcase itself when the weather's nice. All the international press comes here in perhaps our worst weather month of the year. I don't know how many rodeos we can have coming down the street in January,” said Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford earlier this week.

I wished that shared the same enthusiasm as a number of people with the show moving to June. Call me skeptical or cynical, but I get the feeling that the move will not solve the issue that face a number of automakers; making the case to spend the money to attend another show. A recent piece in Wards Auto says it costs more than million dollars to hold a 25-minute press conference according to sources.

“…due to exorbitant rates for sound and video production, lighting, drayage, special effects, food, drink and union labor to set up chairs, lay carpet and build ramps for drive-on vehicle unveilings.”

The past few years have seen more and more automakers hold their own events off-site as they are not only cheaper but allows them to control the message.

“We can go and create an atmosphere on Sunday night at the Garden Theater for less money and for what we think is an equal or better return on our investment,” said Terry Rhadigan, executive director of communications at General Motors to Wards Auto.

I think back to a conversation I had last year on the show floor with a friend. I was mentioning how I was feeling somewhat bored and he asked how many Detroit Auto Shows I had attended.

“I think this is my fourth or fifth,” I said.

He paused for a moment before saying that was usually around the time someone begins to feel burnt out and wanting something exciting to happen. This popped into my head while walking around the show on Monday as nothing really grabbed my attention in terms of new debuts. There were some bright spots such as Kia Stinger GT police vehicle from Australia and the Toyota Yaris WRC on the show floor. But aside from these and few other vehicles, I felt a bit down. Maybe I had grown weary of the show itself and the noticeable departures of various automakers only compounded it. Or maybe this was the manifestation of a trend that the auto show I had come to know was coming to an end and was only beginning to realize it.

2020 will be an interesting year to say in the least as organizers begin a new chapter in the auto show’s legacy. Whether it works out or not remains to be seen.

Pic Credit: William Maley for Cheers & Gears

I thought would be it easy. The front headlights on my new-to-me 2011 Ford Fusion were beginning to dim and I figured some new bulbs would solve it. Ordering the bulbs, I began to think this would be an easy process. Just locate the sockets for the bulbs, replace them, put the sockets back into place, and done.

Little did I know this would be only a fantasy.

Before fully diving into this, I opened up the owners manual to the vehicle to get an idea of what I was getting myself into. It turned out that changing the bulbs is a very involved process. For the driver’s side, you need to remove the air filter box and pipe to get enough room to access the bulbs. My vehicle has two bulbs for the low and high-beams and making sure to pluck out right one will save yourself a lot of pain and suffering. I didn’t realize at the time that rubber covers for the light sockets hint at which bulb is which - smaller one is the high-beam, the larger one is the low-beam. Had I known this, I wouldn’t have spent a good half hour trying to get the high-beam back into place with me a fair amount of swearing and my best impression of Jeremy Clarkson’s “COME ON!” The only thing missing was ‘Yakety Sax’ being played in the background. 

After that goof, I would pull out the right socket and replace with the bulb with no issue. The same cannot be said for putting the air filter box into place as it took a bit of wrestling to get it back into place and hoping nothing broke. After accomplishing this, my attention turned towards the passenger side which would be even difficult. 

Here is a photo showing off the passenger side of the engine bay. There are various mechanical parts littered about including the power steering pump and coolant reservoir. Unlike the driver’s side, there is not a part you can remove for easy access from the topside. In the owner’s manual, Ford tells you to take off the wheel well cover to access the bulbs. I would have done this, but I didn’t have the correct tool and was scared of breaking them off if I used something like a crowbar. This would have been the point of giving up, but I decided to see if there was another way. Turns out there was as a YouTube showed you could get some space by moving the coolant reservoir. That’s what I ended up doing and it did take a fair amount of time patience as I was mostly doing this by feel.

After putting everything back in its place and checking to see if the lights were working, I felt like I had accomplished something major. Despite feeling sore throughout my body and being a fair bit annoyed at the process to do this, I had gotten the new lights in. It may seem ridiculous, but when you consider that most days I’m sitting in front of a computer, banging out words and editing photos, doing some work with a physical object feels unique.

While I was replacing bulbs, the internet blew a gasket when a report came out concerning the upcoming Ford Ranger. Due to the design of the 2.3L EcoBoost four-cylinder and placement of the oil cooler, the oil filter was placed at an odd angle. The removal procedure involved removing the driver’s side wheel, undoing a number of fasteners and moving the wheel well cover, and then use an “end cap tool” to remove the filter. Since then, Ford has issued a tweet talking through the procedure (see below).

Reading through this story after I had finished, I’ll admit I was a bit incensed. For anyone who wanted to do their own oil change, this procedure seemed like madness and would push the small number of those who do this away. But then I thought back to my Fusion with its cramped engine bay and it dawned on me, maybe this was the best option for Ford. Considering how much a new car houses in terms of equipment and parts, offering something akin to the list of steps may be have been the least terrible option. Sure, going through a number of steps just to remove an oil filter seems a bit much. But can you imagine the fallout if Ford just told everyone they needed to their dealer to have the oil change done? *Shudders*

Seeing Ford’s response earlier in the week reinforces this thought of mine. I understand cars are only becoming more and more complicated and that shade tree mechanics are either having to go through more hoops to accomplish repairs or throw in the towel. But do I think there is some conspiracy to stop those from doing their own service to vehicles? Nope.

I’ll admit that I’m not quite ready to tackle some of the issues that face my vehicle at the moment such as flushing the transmission fluid or replacing various bits of the front suspension. But this experience has made me slightly more confident in undertaking smaller repairs and improvements into the vehicle. It has also caused me to do a bit research into doing various projects so I know what I’m getting myself into so I don’t have as many frustrations.

“I can’t believe we’re going to make it”

This thought passed through my head as I brought the vehicle to a stop on an off-ramp. Somehow, I was able to travel from my house in the outskirts of Metro Detroit to my hometown of Midland, Michigan on just a quarter-tank of gas. That may not seem like a huge accomplishment except when you look at the vehicle I was driving, the 707 horsepower Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk.

Originally, I wasn’t planning on traveling to Midland in the Trackhawk. Earlier in the week, I had driven it down to an event in Ann Arbor to drive a couple of Mitsubishi vehicles. The trip revealed the thirst of the supercharged 6.2L V8 by using up a third of the gas tank. My plan for the rest of the time would be running errands and some small trips to get a feel of the vehicle. Over the weekend, I would get some work done and take photos. But that would be thrown out the window when my brother brought up the idea of heading to the Northwood Auto Show in Midland.

The Northwood show takes place on the grounds of Northwood University. It is a unique auto show as the students of the school run all of the aspects of the show ranging from the planning to being the product specialists for each brand. This is part of their automotive and aftermarket degree programs. When I lived in Midland, the show was something I looked forward to every year as I would get the chance to sit in various new vehicles. Also, I would come home with a big bag of brochures that I would be reading throughout the year, letting all of the information seep into my brain. This may explain why I became so crazy about vehicles.

It had been a few years since I last attended the show due to various factors such as not knowing when it would be put on. But I was surprised that it would be taking place around the same time I would have the Trackhawk. At first, I was hesitant to go. But then, my brother said the magic words,

“I would be willing to pay for gas. I want to go for a ride in the Trackhawk.”

Once those words came out of his mouth, I had decided that it would be a good idea to go to Northwood. But something else crept into my head. Would it be possible to travel to the show on a limited amount of gas? I decided to put it to the test.

Saturday morning, my brother and I got into the Trackhawk to head towards Midland. Starting up the vehicle, the supercharged V8 thundered to life and the gas gauge rose to just a hair over a quarter of a tank. My plan was to put the vehicle into Eco mode and use the radar cruise control to travel at a steady speed of 75 mph. The instant fuel economy screen would be up in the instrument cluster to let me monitor and make adjustments as needed. I would stop for gas when the distance to empty notification reached 15 miles or under.

As I began to pull away from the house, my brother noticed that the vehicle was in Eco mode.

“I think its more of a suggestion than an actual mode,” I said when he brought it up.

To demonstrate what I meant, I pushed the throttle to almost the floor on an on-ramp. The V8 engine roared into life with the supercharged screeching. Even in Eco, it is quite shocking how fast this brick picks up speed.

“I get what you mean by this being a suggestion,” my brother said to me as we merged onto I-75.

The trip from my house to Northwood is about 90 miles. The trip computer told me that I would be out of gas in 90 miles. Cue “Challenge Accepted” picture. 

The first 15 to 20 miles of the trip was a bit nerve-racking. Watching the instant fuel economy fluctuate between 10 to 15 as the vehicle would slow down and accelerate as other vehicles came into its path. I began to worry about my goal of reaching Midland was all for naught. But as we traveled further on I-75, my confidence began to grow. The engine settled down and cruise at just a hair above 2,000 rpms. The fuel gauge was steadily going down, but my average fuel economy was rising.

It wasn’t till we passed the small town of Auburn, that car flashed its low fuel light. The vehicle said it had 30 miles till it reached empty. I knew that Midland was only ten or so miles away and decided to push it. The gauge continued to fall as did the distance to empty. I held my breath until we got onto the off-ramp. Just a few hundred feet away was a gas station. We had done it with just 20 miles to spare. According to the car, I had an average of 15.1 mpg for the trip.

I know there will be someone who will be saying: “Why did you this? Aren’t you missing the point of this vehicle?!” No, I know the point of the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is to go stupid fast. Defy the laws of physics. But that is what every review (including mine that will be coming in the near future) goes on about. I wanted to do something a bit different and look at it from a different angle. 

I think my brother said it best about this whole experience as I got back into the car after getting some gas,

“I wasn’t expecting that to happen.”

For the past month, I have been doing a bit of window shopping for a possible replacement for my current vehicle - a 2006 Ford Fusion with almost 270,000 miles on the odometer. Usually, whenever I go look at vehicles, I tend to have automotive ADD; tending to look at all kinds of vehicles with no set price or type. But this recent excursion caused me to notice that I had unknowingly set my sights on a certain group. All of the vehicles I was looking at were all compact cars and none were crossovers. Why is that?

To get to the bottom of this, I began to look at my driving habits when I am not driving a new car for review. For the most part, I tend to drive in a small radius from where I live - about a 20 to 25 Miles. I don’t really carry passengers in my car and the back seat is primarily used for transporting groceries or other items. Plus, I only get about 22 to 24 mpg in mostly city driving. Looking at this information, it makes some sense as to why I happen to be looking at small cars. I don’t take advantage of all the space on offer for cargo and passengers, and it would be nice to get to some higher fuel economy numbers.

You might be wondering why am I not considering a compact/subcompact crossover? There are two reasons for this. One is that I find crossovers to be a little too big for my needs and wants. Second is that I can get a better deal on a car than a crossover. For example, I have been looking at various Chevrolet Cruzes and have been surprised how much dealers are marking them down. I have seen price cuts ranging from about $2,000 to $5,000. That means I could get into a decently equipped Cruze for around $20,000 to $22,000. Can’t really do the same when talking about the Equinox.

There have been a couple pieces flowing around within the past few months talking about how a number of us tend to buy the largest vehicle we can afford because we tend to think about the extremes that will happen rarely during the ownership of the vehicle. Having a big vehicle for when you decide to move or pick up some large items is a nice thing to have, but how often will that happen for most of us? Twice? Three times? We may think that we are using rational reasoning to try and justify buying something bigger, but the irrational parts of our brains ultimately color the final decision.

All of us should buy a vehicle that fits our needs and wants. But that doesn’t always work out. Some of us enjoy driving a bigger vehicle such as a full-size sedan or pickup truck. If you get a sense of joy every time you get in, despite the faults and issues that will come up, then I don’t see any problem. For me, I would enjoy having a full-size sedan such as a Chevrolet Impala because of its comfortable ride and looks. But at the moment, it doesn’t make sense for me.

I guess what I am trying to say is the next time you’re deciding on your next vehicle, try your best to keep the needs and wants in check. Don’t fall into those traps of thinking about the extremes. Who knows, you might be like me and find yourself surprised at what you are looking at.

Pic Credit: William Maley for Cheers & Gears

In the coming months, one of the most anticipated and important vehicles will begin rolling off the production line. The Tesla Model 3 has a lot riding on it as there are over 370,000 pre-orders for the upcoming entry-level model. This is the vehicle that can either make or break the company.

So it seems quite interesting that Tesla is trying to pull attention away from this important model. During Tesla’s first-quarter earnings call, CEO Elon Musk expressed dismay at the lack of attention given to their flagship sedan, the Model S. 

"We have seen some impact of Model S orders as a function of people being confused" that Model 3 is the upgrade to Model S, Musk said on a conference call.

"We want to be super clear that Model 3 is not version 3 of our car. Model 3 is essentially a smaller, more affordable version of the Model S with fewer features,” Musk went on to say.

But why is Musk trying to put the spotlight back on the Model S? One only needs to look at the customer deposits for the Model S and X. In the first quarter, deposits on both models dropped 7 percent. The Model S is also getting up there in age. Let us not forget that Model S was first shown back in 2009 and didn’t enter production till 2012. Despite the numerous over-the-air updates with new technology features such as Autopilot and upgrades to the powertrain, it is still the same vehicle we saw many moons ago. Considering the types of models the Model S competes against, this isn’t a good thing.

Still, the Model 3 is the current sweetheart of Tesla whether they want it to be not. Unknowingly at the time when the world to the Model 3 back in 2015, Elon Musk had opened a Pandora’s Box. Many people like Tesla because they are not like your standard automaker and this has garnered the company a cult of personality that is more common with Apple or Google, not an automaker. When the Model 3 was shown and price tag revealed to be $35,000 (without federal and state tax incentives), everyone went crazy. People who envied those with either a Model S or X would now be able to join the cool kids and enjoy the perks of owning a Tesla.

With all of these pre-orders, Tesla has to get these models out quickly or face the wrath of angry buyers. But there are some serious concerns as to whether or not Tesla can meet it. For one, the company has a long track record of missing production dates. Remember how the Model X was supposed to come out in early-2014? Thanks to a number of delays, Model X production didn’t begin until the fall of 2015. But Tesla believes they have a solution to get the Model 3 in production on time.

Quote

“Reuters reports that Tesla is skipping a step most automakers undertake when producing a new vehicle. Prototype tools are bought in on the production line to help determine issues in terms of fit and finish. Once these issues are worked out, the prototype tools are scrapped and automakers place orders for permanent and expensive tools. But Musk told investors last month, Tesla was jumping into the permanent and expensive part first so they can meet their self-imposed volume production deadline of September.” - Tesla's Big Gamble With Model 3 Production, April 26, 2017

 

Tesla’s reasoning for skipping this step is that it brought a number of problems for the launch of the Model X. According to a source speaking to Reuters, “Tesla was unable to take any of the lessons learned from this before ordering the final production tooling,” due to a tight production deadline.

"Soft tooling did very little for the program and arguably hurt things," said the source.

One only needs to do a quick Google search on Model X issues to see a long list that includes massive gaps with the body panels and the futuristic Falcon Doors malfunctioning. But this is nothing new. Tesla’s build quality issues have been around for awhile and they still haven’t gotten them fully ironed out on either model. This isn’t a good sign when you’re getting to launch a model that will be produced in large quantities.

If there is one thing that Tesla has proven time and time again, it has been their resilience. Despite the bad news or fault, they have always seemed to find a way out. The Model 3 will be the ultimate test of their resilience. If they can pull off the launch of the Model 3 with only a few hiccups, then it would propel the company towards a higher place. But one massive screw-up or miscalculation could put Tesla in a difficult spot, one they might not be able to get out.

It makes sense that Elon Musk is trying to draw the attention away from the Model 3, but it is too late. The pandora's box has been opened and there is no way it can be shut. All eyes on are the Model 3 and Tesla just needs to ride it out.

Last week saw the PSA Group (parent company of Citroen and Peugeot) purchasing Opel and Vauxhall from General Motors for $2.3 billion. This move would make the PSA Group the second-largest automaker in Europe. We already know some of the plans that PSA Group has for their new brands such as setting operating profit targets of 2 percent in 2020 (jumps to 6 percent by 2026) and the next-generation Opel/Vauxhall Corsa being the first new product developed with PSA. But as we alluded to in the original news story, there are a lot of questions that remain unanswered such as possible job cuts or what happens to Buick and Holden as they share products with Opel. I have been doing a bit of thinking on these and some other questions. The end result is this piece.

1: Will there be job cuts and plant closures?

In 2016, PSA Group employed 172,000 people worldwide. With the acquisition of Opel and Vauxhall, they will be adding close to 42,000 workers (the majority of those from Opel). The number of plants will also increase to 28 due to this purchase. Sooner or later, PSA Group is going have to make cuts. During the press conference announcing the deal, PSA Group CEO Carlos Tavares said the company “would honor existing labor agreements and closing plants is a “simplistic” solution.” That may be true for now, but this might change within the coming years. Some analysts believe PSA Group will close two to three plants within five years.

The most likely place where the closures and layoffs could take place is in Great Britain. The reason as we talked about in a story back in February deals with the decision made by British citizens last year with leaving the European Union.

“By leaving, the country would lose access to the EU Single Market which guarantees unconstrained trade across the member states. It would mean various countries would be leveraging tariffs on British-made goods, making production in the country less competitive.”

Former British member of parliament and business secretary Sir Vincent Cable outlined how bad this decision looks for Vauxhall in a recent interview on BBC Radio 4.

Quote

“When it comes to thinking about new models, particularly under the new owners, there’s one big doubt, which is the future of the customs union and single market arrangements,” said Sir Vince.

“Car components have to go backwards and forwards across frontiers and they’ll require tariffs and checks and Vauxhall particularly is exposed to this.”

“About 80 per cent of its exports are to the European Union… and if you’re a hard-headed car executive looking at the competitiveness of Britain versus German plants, Britain I’m afraid is going to slip down the ranking in future.”

2

There could be a way that the British Government could at least stall the possible closures. Back in October, the British Government worked out a secret deal with Nissan to keep them investing in British car production at their plant in Sunderland. This deal caused an uproar as the details were kept as many believed the British Government would be handing over money to keep Nissan happy. But sources told British newspaper The Independent back in January that the deal had no mention of money.

Quote

A Whitehall source told The Independent: “There was no specific promise of money. It was a gentleman’s agreement, a case of doing whatever it took to keep Nissan happy.”

 

It could be that the British Government could do something similar for PSA Group to keep jobs, but it is too early to say if this will happen or not.

2: Will this affect PSA’s plans of entering the U.S.?

Probably not. Let’s remember that PSA Group is working through a ten-year plan that may or may not see the return of the Citroen and Peugeot, along with the introduction of DS to the country. Already, the first part of this plan is gearing up for the launch of a car sharing service next month. There is also extensive research going on into the U.S. marketplace. 

But could there be a possibility of Opel or Vauxhall vehicles being sold here? It would not be surprising if there isn’t talk about this at PSA Group’s HQ. But there is a slight complication to this idea. As part of the sale, PSA Group cannot sell any Opel vehicles developed by GM anywhere in various markets outside of Europe (China and U.S. for example) until they transition to PSA platforms. That means a number of models such as the Astra, Insignia, and Mokka are out of the question for the time being. If Opel was chosen to be one of the brands PSA would sell in the U.S., they might not have a full line of vehicles to sell due to this clause.

3: What does the future hold for Buick and Holden?

If there are some losers from the sale of Opel, it has to Buick and Holden. Buick has found some success with Opel products as the Encore (rebadged Mokka) has become one the best-selling models for the brand. Holden is getting a shot in the arm as the Astra will hopefully help their fortunes in the compact space, and the new Commodore (rebadged Insignia) has a tough task ahead of it with living up to an iconic name. For the time being, Opel will continue supplying models to both brands. It is what happens in the future that many are concerned about.

During the Geneva Motor Show, GM President Dan Ammann said something very interest to Australian journalists about the future of Holden’s products.

Quote

"So no specific decisions have been taken on that front. We have, I'd say as a result of yesterday's announcement, more not less opportunities going forward," said Ammann.

"Clearly the current models that are just launching will run through their full lifecycle and what we do after that is yet to be determined."

1

This makes sense as the Astra was only launched and the Commodore is getting ready to go on sale. But I wouldn’t be surprised if talks begin very soon about this very topic. The same talks are likely to begin at Buick soon where they face the same issue for the Regal and Encore. Our hunch is Buick might have the easier time of two. The Encore would continue on since it shares the same platform as the Chevrolet Trax. As for the Regal, it could leave Buick’s lineup once the next-generation model runs its course.

4: Does GM lose anything with this deal?

There has been a lot of talk about how much money will be freed up from the sale of Opel/Vauxhall for GM, along with making a bit more profit. But it comes at a cost that could hurt GM down the road. The recent crop of compact and midsize sedans from GM owe a lot to Opel’s engineering knowledge. Vehicles that excel in driving dynamics and fuel economy are worth their weight in gold when it comes to the European marketplace. As we know, one part of why GM went into bankruptcy was the lack of competitive small and midsize cars that got good fuel economy. Opel would prove to be GM’s savior with this key knowledge.

Right now, compacts and midsize sedans aren’t selling as consumers are directing their attention to crossovers and SUVs. This is due in part to lower gas prices. But sooner or later, the price of gas will go back up and cause many to go back to smaller vehicles. With talk about GM scaling back on their small and midsize car lineup, this decision could have consequences down the road. Plus with Opel out of the picture, GM doesn’t have someone it can rely on to get these models back to the forefront. We can hope GM’s North American office has learned some stuff when working with their European counterparts.

This would have been my fourth Detroit Auto Show (or North American International Auto Show as some would like you to call it) for Cheers and Gears. But due to a leg injury sustained a couple of weeks before the show, I was unable to make it. Maybe that was a blessing in disguise as I would miss out on dealing with individuals who break out tape measures and clipboards to note every little detail, along with journalists complaining about why the show isn't held during a warmer month. But it would turn out this year’s show would be a bit disappointing.

That isn't to say there were not any breakouts. The new Kia Stinger GT looks very intriguing as the new Lexus LS. I'm interested in checking out the new Toyota Camry (bet you weren't expecting that). Volkswagen's I.D. Buzz concept could bring something new in terms of electric vehicles (if it ever gets built). Plus Ford's announcement that the Bronco and Ranger were coming was some excellent news. But everything else landed with a bit of a thud. 

So how did we end up here? A lot of this comes down to the past few years at Detroit being very bountiful with vehicles that caused jaws to drop and excitement levels to rise. The likes of the Acura NSX, Buick Avista concept, Chevrolet Bolt, Ford GT, and Lexus LC made our souls stir and revel in this magical time. But sooner or later, the well was going to dry up and leave a show that was lacking in spark. 

At first, I thought it was part of a cycle. You have your high points before falling back down and then rising back up. But the more I thought about it, this might be a sign that the auto show is beginning to fade.

The past few years have seen a number of automakers hold events off site before the kick-off of the show. Looking at the various social media feeds on Sunday, I was able to count seven different events. Holding something offsite give an automaker a way of controlling the message. It also gives a bit more time in the spotlight, not having to fight with other automakers for it during a packed press day.

There are also more outlets for automakers to show their wares. The week before the Detroit Auto Show was the Consumer Electronics Show. The past few years have seen more and more automakers take part in regards to electric vehicles and autonomous driving. It has also been home for a small number of debuts; Volkswagen Budd-e, Chrysler Portal concept, and Faraday Future. 

The combination of these two, along with some manufacturers pulling out of Detroit over the past few years resulted in this year's show. 

Does this mean the Detroit Auto Show is doomed? Not at the moment. This year, organizers took a page from the LA Auto Show by doing more in terms of talking about the future of the automotive industry and mobility with press conferences and talks from various industry folks from Sunday to Tuesday.

But the writing is beginning to appear on the wall. Down the road, it seems the auto show will not be the place where news is made. Instead, it will be the place where vehicles are gathered for all to look at.

Before that day comes, we might get a couple more high points.

2016… What a year. This year saw a number of things that no one thought would actually happen did. Not helping matters is the number of famous people that have sadly passed on. Here at the Cheers & Gears Detroit Bureau, it wasn’t such a great year for vehicles. For the 2016 review season, 44 vehicles came in for evaluation. Out of this group, only eight vehicles earned a spot of being my favorite vehicles from the year. Read on to see which vehicles made the cut.

2016 Cadillac ATS-V Coupe

It is amazing how far Cadillac has come in the past decade and proof of it can be shown in the ATS- V coupe. A 464 horsepower twin-turbo V6 makes the vehicle fly with no issue. A set of sticky tires and adjustable dampers show the ATS-V is just as capable, maybe more so than its German counterparts. But it can also provide decent ride around town if you set the dampers into a comfort mode. Then there is the look. I’m not usually a fan of red, but it looks killer on the ATS-V coupe. It pairs quite nicely with sharp angles and a low roofline This was one of the models where I found myself grinning from ear to ear because of how much fun I had.

2016 Chevrolet Volt

It is amazing how far Chevrolet has come with the Volt. Five years ago, the Volt was this odd looking vehicle with a clever powertrain that made range anxiety nonexistent. Yes, 35 miles of electric-only range didn’t seem like a lot. However, the gas generator acted as an insurance policy if you ran out of juice with the battery. Flash forward to this year and Volt has not only seen an increase in overall range to 53 miles, but it has also gotten sleeker. This is currently my favorite looking Chevrolet vehicle with the new Cruze a close second. Other plus points include an improved interior and smooth ride. The new Bolt is currently basking in the spotlight that the Volt was at one time. But let us not forget the Volt is one of the key reasons why the Bolt exists. 

2016 Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack & SRT Hellcat

Dodge covered the two extremes of performance this season with the Charger R/T Scat Pack and Hellcat. The Scat Pack was first up and I fell in love with it. For almost $40,000, you basically got an SRT Charger minus the adaptive suspension and number of luxury items. It was great fun with the 6.4L HEMI V8 bellowing down the road and the sharp looking Plum Crazy paint color. I found that you really don’t need the adaptive suspension as the Scat Pack does ok on bumpy roads or curvy roads.

Then we come to the Charger SRT Hellcat. 707 horsepower from a supercharged 6.2L HEMI V8. It seems maddening that we are given a vehicle with all of this power for a price tag under $66,000. Trying to describe the way the Hellcat goes is difficult and something you need to experience. This is a vehicle that will make you laugh like a small child every time you decide to drop the hammer to hear the whir of the supercharger and manic sound of the V8.

2016 Kia Optima SXL

It is no secret that the Kia Optima is one of my favorite midsize sedans. It offers distinctive looks and feature set at a price that will surprise many. But it was set to fall off my list earlier this year when I drove the Optima EX. The big issues were an uncomfortable ride and poor noise isolation. So when I found out that the top of line SXL was scheduled later in the year, I was worried that it would be plagued by the same issues. But those issues never appeared. The SXL was not only quiet but showed a noticeable improvement in terms of ride comfort. I still don’t know what black magic Kia did on the SXL, but it kept the Optima on my favorites list. Now if they could work on the lazy throttle…

2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata

“Sometimes to fully test a vehicle, you need to put it in a situation where it isn’t fully comfortable.”

That was the case for the Mazda MX-5 Miata as it would not be only driven in the middle of one of the coldest winters in Michigan, but it would also be taking me to and from the Detroit Auto Show. Crazy? Of course. But the MX-5 Miata was wearing a set of winter tires which helped it stick to the road. Despite the cold temps and snow that would fall during the latter half of the week, the MX-5 Miata proved to be just as fun as it would have been in warmer weather. Sharp handling, an engine that loved to rev, and a slick six-speed manual transmission. It didn’t hurt that I could actually fit my suitcase into the trunk of the Miata for the show.

2016 Scion iA

I have a trend of driving brands or vehicles that will be ending. Most infamously was the time when I drove a Suzuki SX4 for review and then hearing the news of the brand leaving a couple of days after returning it. That was the case of the Scion iA. A few months after driving the iA, Toyota announced that it was shuttering the brand. Some of the vehicles, like the iA would continue as Toyotas. This was a smart move as the iA proved to be a winner. Being a rebadged Mazda2 was a big reason as to why I liked the iA. It was a fun vehicle to drive around town or on a special road. But it also featured a lot of standard equipment including automatic emergency braking. While the brand is gone, it is good to see the iA lives on.

2016 Toyota Prius Three

I have never been a fan of the Prius family. Every Prius that I have reviewed left me wondering who decided to start selling a science experiment and not an actual vehicle. But the 2016 Prius is my biggest shock of the year. Yes, the Prius will take its time getting up to speed on the freeway. But around town, the Prius was a spritely performer. More surprising was how well the Prius drove. Taking a corner, I was expecting to experience motion sickness because of how much body roll previous models had. But the Prius took it like a champ showing little body and some decent steering - thank the new TGNA architecture. It doesn’t hurt that I got 60.2 mpg as my average for the week. Well done Toyota.

2016 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen

If there is one shining light at Volkswagen, it would have to be the Golf family. Last year, I named the Golf GTI as one of my favorites. This year, that honor falls to the SportWagen. Yes, it isn’t the sharpest looking vehicle in the class and the DSG transmission needs some more work. But Volkswagen got the basics right. The 1.8T is powerful and delivers excellent fuel economy. The interior spacious for both passengers and cargo - I was able to fit two massive Ikea boxes into it. Volkswagen also mastered the dark art of balancing fun to drive with comfort. I could take the Golf SportWagen down a windy road and be entertained. Afterward, I could drive it around town and not feel any road imperfections. 

There you go, the eight vehicles that earned a coveted spot on my favorites list. Now it should be noted that some vehicles we’re close to getting onto this list, but were kicked off for one reason or another. Here are those vehicles,

• Chevrolet Malibu 2LT: Chevrolet did an excellent job with the new Malibu with fixing a number of issues that plagued the old model. But the 2LT introduced a new set of problems - questionable materials, poor road noise isolation, and the lack of options. I really do like the new Malibu, just not in 2LT form.
• Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible: Loved the V8 performance and noise. Hate the $54,000 pricetag. This might explain why GM has such a large amount of Camaros sitting on dealers.
• Hyundai Elantra: Hyundai played it safe with the updated Elantra and this would have been ok a couple of years ago. But in light of the redesigned Chevrolet Cruze and Honda Civic, it wasn’t enough for the Elantra to be a strong contender as it once was.
• Nissan Titan XD Pro-4X: This was a truck I really wanted to like. Nissan was trying something different with the Titan XD - offer something between a light-duty and heavy-duty pickup. Plus, a nice Cummins V8 diesel could have been the cheery on top. But trying to convince someone that your truck is the best is difficult since truck buyers tend to stick with one brand. Not helping is the lack of cab and bed sizes. At the time of our original review, the XD was only available as a crew cab. A regular cab has been since introduced. But it seems Nissan doesn’t fully understand the truck market. You need to have a lot of options available to buyers at launch, not down the road.

The past month at Mitsubishi Motors has been tumultuous with the announcement that they had manipulated fuel economy numbers on a number of small city cars sold by them and Nissan. It would come to light that this manipulation had been going since 1991 on a number of models sold in Japan. Shares in the company dropped like a rock and there were concerns that Mitsubishi Motors would have to borrow money from other companies in the Mitsubishi conglomerate. But soon a white knight would appear, Nissan. The company that first discovered and reported it to Mitsubishi would buy a 34 percent share into the automaker, making it the largest shareholder. Thus, an alliance between the two was created.

The two automakers are currently still in the beginning stages of their alliance, but certain things have been made clear of what the two hope to accomplish. The biggest one is to improve the reputation of Mitsubishi Motors in Japan. There is also talk about two working together on electric vehicles and possibly sharing a platform for their next-generation pickups.

One of the questions still up in the air is what will the alliance bring to the U.S.? That’s probably way down on the priority list for both companies. But it is something that will have to be discussed sooner or later.

At the moment, there seem to be two camps of thought. The first is that Mitsubishi should make an exit out of the U.S. Sales are on the rise for the Japanese automaker, but they pale in comparison with other competitors. Also, Mitsubishi doesn’t have the presence as other automakers when it comes to getting the message out. The second is that Mitsubishi should stay, which for the most part is followed by ‘bring back the Lancer Evolution!’. I hate to be the evil person here, but it isn’t coming back. Stop asking for it.

Recently I was going back through some old Autocar magazines and came across an editorial talking about Nissan’s change in strategy for the U.K. and how they are currently reaping the benefits.

“I remember when Nissan said it was giving up the ‘boring’ car market and dealing only in what were, at the time, niches. Quirky tall things. Things that didn’t sell in large volumes. That funny Qashqai thing: not quite a car, not quite a 4x4 either.

We weren’t long out of the 1990s, a decade in which the list of the top 10 best-selling cars in the UK went something like this: Ford's Fiesta, Focus, Mondeo, Vauxhall's Vectra, Astra, Corsa, Peugeot 306, Volkswagen Golf, Rovers 200, 400. Family cars all. Straight family cars. Not always a Nissan among them, although the Micra dabbled inside the top 10, because it was, then, a cute supermini. So Nissan got into what were seen as niches. Ballsy move. And it has stayed there.”

It was quite the gamble when Nissan made this call in the 2000’s to drop out of some very popular segments at the time to focus on some odd vehicles. But it has paid off as Nissan has become one of the popular brands in the U.K. and two of their vehicles - the Qashqai and Juke - are in the top ten of the best-selling vehicles.

This got me thinking, what if Mitsubishi and Nissan were to apply this same strategy for the U.S.? You might think I’m being somewhat crazy with this idea, but what does Mitsubishi have to lose?

What could this strategy possibly look like? I think we need to go back to 2015 and look at comments made by Mitsubishi Motors CEO Osamu Masuko for a possible starting point.

"We are strong in SUVs and four-wheel drives. And that is what we would like to focus on as core models in the U.S. market. We have changed direction. We are going to allocate more resources to the areas where we are strong in the U.S.”

In 2015, more than 58 percent of Mitsubishi’s U.S. sales were crossovers. That trend is continuing in 2016 as 54 percent of sales through April are crossovers. We know that later this year, Mitsubishi will finally launch the long-delayed Outlander PHEV in the U.S. There is also talk of a small crossover and next-generation Montero/Pajero coming in the next few years. I know crossovers and SUVs aren’t really considered a niche anymore as every automaker has one. But this is an area that Mitsubishi that is quite strong.

So what could Nissan bring to the table with crossovers/SUVs? A key item would be electrification. Yes, Mitsubishi does have a fair amount of experience here. But as I mentioned, one of the key things the two automakers are planning to work on together on electric vehicles. They could make some big inroads with building an electric crossover with decent range (200 or more miles). Considering the huge craving for crossovers by consumers, the two could strike something big here. The other item Nissan could bring is new a new platform and/or engines for the next-generation Outlander/Outlander Sport. One complaint about both crossovers are the four-cylinder engines as they don’t have enough power to get either model moving at a decent clip. There’s also the issue of Outlander Sport having a very jarring ride due to the suspension tuning.

But this is one part of the Mitsubishi conundrum. The other deals with their other best-selling passenger car, the Mirage. Aside from being the current whipping boy of the automotive press, the Mirage makes up about 38.3 percent of Mitsubishi’s 2016 sales through April. A lot this is due to the low price of the model ($12,995). To capitalize on this success, Mitsubishi will be launching a Mirage sedan later this year.

To go back to the comments made by Masuko, “We are strong in SUVs and four-wheel drives. And that is what we would like to focus on as core models in the U.S. Market.” But the Mirage is proving to be a strong model and one that should be considered a core model. It would be mad for Mitsubishi to drop it. One thing that the Mirage does need is a new engine. The 1.2L three-cylinder does deliver excellent fuel economy figures (37 City/43 Highway), but it is slow. Snails could outrun this vehicle. This is where Nissan could come in by giving the Mirage an engine transplant. The 1.6L four-cylinder from the Versa/Versa Note with 109 horsepower would provide a needed boost in power and wouldn’t affect fuel economy numbers much.

Now that I have outlined some key issues and comments, let’s dive into what a smaller lineup for Mitsubishi could possibly look like with some help from Nissan.

Mirage/Mirage G4: New engine from Nissan and possibly an improved interior.
Lancer: Rebadged version of Sentra and Pulsar Hatchback, or Nissan helps with speeding up development of the next-gen model.
Outlander Sport: Electric model possibly joins range.
Outlander: Plug-in hybrid model sticks around.
Pajero/Montero: All Mitsubishi here. Gas and plug-in hybrid powertrains on offer. Five and seven-seat configurations on offer.
Triton/L200: Next-Generation model using Nissan Navara platform. Mitsubishi works on everything else from engines and four-wheel drive system. This is way out as both companies have introduced their latest trucks.

Would Nissan be willing to help Mitsubishi with this? That is tough to say at this time since we’re still in the honeymoon period between the two automakers and there are more pressing things to address. There is also the consideration of why Nissan would help a competitor in the market. But Mitsubishi is a small bit player in the U.S. Last year, Mitsubishi only sold 95,342 vehicles. This pales in comparison with the 1,484,918 vehicles sold by Nissan last year. This could help Mitsubishi out with making a case for this idea.

The U.S. is way down on the priority list between Mitsubishi and Nissan. But I’m sure the U.S. offices are thinking about what will happen. There are two real choices that are on the table, either leave the U.S. market or take a gamble and change up your lineup somewhat drastically. If I was Mitsubishi, I would push for the latter option by using the niche plan.

Whenever someone finds out that I'm an automotive writer, sooner or later I will get asked "I'm looking for 'x' vehicle and I was wondering if you could help me out," or some other variation. These are the times where I wish I could make a smoke cloud appear, allowing me to make an escape. But alas, that is only a dream.

This is a common thing that a number of us - automotive writers - tend to get whether it is from family, friends, or some random stranger. We want to try and help, but most of the time the suggestions seem to go nowhere. It comes down to various reasons such as none of the ideas are appealing or the person going in a completely different direction (wanted a sedan, now interested in a crossover).

But I also believe that we as a group need to take some of the blame as we sometimes try to push someone into a vehicle they are not interested or vice versa. I learned this at an early age when I was trying to push my parents away from leasing a Ford Freestyle due to the poor reviews it got in the automotive press. They ended up with one and I ate my fair amount of crow as I grew to like the Freestyle.

Other times, it seems that the suggestions we give out are a bit ridiculous. For example, recommending someone getting a high-performance wagon when all they want is a crossover. I can't help but wonder if some of the suggestions I have heard are due to someone trying to live vicariously through another person.

Aside from wishing I could throw on an invisibility cloak whenever this question is asked, I have been trying figure out what could be the best way to help someone while giving myself some plausible deniability. It hit me recently when I was at friend’s birthday gathering. I was chatting with my friend’s dad and he asked me about what car should he recommend to a co-worker. She was looking at a BMW X3 and wanted to know if this was a good choice. Plus, was there any other vehicles she should consider?

To get my mind in the right place, I found myself asking a lot of questions.

• Did she have kids?
• What are her big considerations?
• Are there types of vehicles or brands she doesn’t want to deal with?
• How much does she want to spend?
  

So on and so forth. It was a version of twenty questions where there is no correct answer and somehow less fun. Once I had gotten enough information to get my mind working, I began to recommend a few vehicles that are worth a closer look such as the Audi Q5, Lincoln MKC, and Subaru Outback. I also said the new X3 is quite good and would possibly consider going with a certified pre-owned model for a slightly lower price and warranty.

After having this conversation, it hit me: I had figured out a possible fool proof way of offering car advice. It comes down to me taking on the role of a guide where I ask a person what they are and are not interested in, and build out a group of vehicles that I can show someone that possibly fits what they are looking.

I don't know what the co-worker ended up choosing and I hope to find out in the near future.

So if you want to ask me what car you want to buy, be prepared to answer a lot of questions and not be given a definitive answer. You might be annoyed by this, but the end result is hopefully you finding a car that works. Plus, we might be on speaking terms after this.

Over the past six months and numerous articles with the ‘As the Diesel Emits’ in the title, we are no closer to have a fix for the around 600,000 Volkswagen diesel vehicles with illegal emission software. Instead, we have been treated a first-rate performance of ‘How not to handle a crisis’. From Volkswagen’s delay of admitting the illegal software to CEO Matthias Muller seeming very oblivious to what happening in an interview. It seems the German automaker is getting one black eye after another.

The past month or so has seen the crisis cranked up to eleven.

• New documents revealed that senior managers, including former CEO Martin Winterkorn, were alerted about the U.S. probing some of their TDI models back in 2014
• This was followed up by a letter from last year alerting Winterkorn that the Volkswagen did use a defeat device in their diesel models - two weeks before the official EPA announcement.
• A U.S. Federal Judge has given Volkswagen until March 24th to give an answer on where they stand on a possible fix.
• Volkswagen of America CEO and President Michael Horn suddenly stepped down from his position.
• With Horn’s departure, dealers want answers as to what happens next or a mutiny could happen.
  

Ever since this scandal came to light, there has been a question that has been floating around in my head: Does Volkswagen know how much trouble it is in? On the surface, it seems they do and are trying their best to rectify this issue. But dig a little bit further and there are very troubling signs.

For example, the Associate Press last week learned from a couple people that Volkswagen’s management in Germany resisted the plan set by Horn to offer $1,000 in gift cards to owners as a gesture of goodwill. Thankfully management relented and the program was instituted. Then there was Volkswagen’s first proposal to fix the affected vehicles in the U.S. which got rejected by the California Air Resources Board as it was “incomplete, substantially deficient and fall far short of meeting the legal requirements to return these vehicles” to compliance. Since then, Volkswagen has been working on a new solution to present to CARB and the EPA, though we haven’t heard anything about it.

These concerns bring up another question about Volkswagen: Do they know what their place in America is? Last September, Automobile Magazine ran an excellent editorial titled Volkswagen Has Never Understood its Place in the U.S. In the piece, the author argues that Volkswagen is seen by many Americans as something out of the mainstream - original Beetle, Microbus, Golf GTI, and their diesel lineup. Because of this, Volkswagen has a small, but loyal fanbase, But Volkswagen sees themselves as something different; a mass-market brand capable of selling many vehicles around. Except in the U.S.

A few years ago, Volkswagen set an ambitious goal of selling 800,000 vehicles in the U.S. by 2018. To achieve this goal, the automaker decided to build vehicles tailored to the marketplace. What we ended up with was a Passat and Jetta that were appealing as stale bread because that is what the company thought would sell. At first, the strategy worked as sales of Volkswagen vehicles increased. But in the past couple of years, sales have dropped precipitously. The company has been scratching their heads as to why this is happening. It goes back to Volkswagen not understanding their place in the U.S.

That last sentence can be extended further into the diesel emission crisis. The way Volkswagen has handled this crisis is nothing short of disastrous. If you are a company dealing with a massive crisis, the key thing you should be doing is keeping everyone somewhat abreast of what is happening. Volkswagen has barely done this and has given the impression that they are really not doing anything, despite all of the reports saying Volkswagen is conducting an internal investigation and working on a fix.

This one quote from the Automobile Magazine editorial partly sums the predicament Volkswagen finds itself in.

“That left the small clique of devoted enthusiasts, folks who bought Volkswagens because they were Volkswagens, and often because they were Volkswagen “clean” diesels. These are precisely the people Volkswagen just kicked in the teeth.”

They’re not the only group that Volkswagen has caused pain. Dealers who bought into Volkswagen’s vision of being a mass-market brand and spent close to a billion dollars, only to see sales fall apart are not very happy. There also seems to be a disconnect between dealers and Volkswagen as this quote from Bloomberg illustrates,

“The suggestion was startling: Maybe VW should give up on selling cars to America’s masses.

It was late January, at the Detroit auto show, and Herbert Diess, the global chief of Volkswagen AG’s namesake brand, was sounding out U.S. dealers as the company grappled with the biggest crisis in its modern history. Perhaps, Diess wondered aloud, VW should stop trying to compete with the likes of Toyota Motor Corp. in America and go back to focusing on higher-end models.

“It was near crickets in the room,” said Alan Brown, chairman of VW’s U.S. dealer council.”

Volkswagen is now at a crossroads with seemingly everyone angry with them in one form or another. There are so many things the company could have done to be in a better place than they are currently. But the Volkswagen’s mindset and not fully understanding the U.S. put them in a the place where they are now. Whether or not they learn from this experience and make the necessary changes to survive remains to be seen.

The one thing we are sure about is that Volkswagen lost a lot of trust from various groups because of this scandal. As anyone will tell you, regaining trust is a seemingly impossible task.

A couple of weeks ago, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne made headlines when he announced that the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Dart would run their course - i.e. no second generation. Instead, the company would focus on building utility vehicles. This threw everyone in the automotive press into a frenzy with equal groups calling Marchionne a genius or a lunatic. But Marchionne also mentioned that the 200 and Dart could continue on if a partner could be found and build vehicles under a contract, a.k.a. badge engineering.

This move presents a lot of risk for FCA. Badge engineered vehicles have never been a true success for anyone. There is also an added risk of trying to find the right partner to build these new vehicles.

I have decided to figure out a possible list of suitors that FCA could go for. Some of these suitors have a history with the brand while others don’t have any history at all.

Mitsubishi - Chances of happening: 1 to 10%
The Japanese automaker has a long history with Chrysler. During the late 70’s to mid-nineties, Chrysler imported a number of Mitsubishi vehicles to rebadge and sell (Colt, Colt Vista, Conquest, and Sapporo to name a few). Then there was Diamond Star Motors - a joint venture between the two of developing and building a group of coupes - Eagle Talon, Mitsubishi Eclipse, and Plymouth Laser. Even now, Mitsubishi allows Chrysler to sell a rebadged version of the Mirage G4 sedan - the Dodge Attitude in Mexico.

But Mitsubishi doesn’t have a midsize sedan. A few years back, the company announced a joint partnership with Nissan/Renault to develop a new midsize sedan. However the partnership was dissolved and Mitsubishi was back to square one. Then there is the case of the Lancer compact sedan. While most automakers have introduced new or refreshed versions, the Lancer has stayed the same. More concerning is Mitsubishi not having a real plan for the next one or a timeframe.

To put it bluntly, Mitsubishi is currently marooned at sea with no sign of help coming for their car lineup.

But Hyundai is very constrained on production. All of Hyundai’s factories are working overtime on getting vehicles onto dealer lots. Hyundai is also beginning to change some of their production capacity to focus on building crossovers to meet the growing demand for utility vehicles. The possibility of FCA getting any vehicles are very slim.

But this partnership could bring some problems. If Mazda was to give the 3 and 6 to FCA, they would be essentially competing with itself. Also, would FCA want to make any changes to the 3 and 6? They already did this with the 124 Spider and there are concerns about reliability due to the changes made.

But Volkswagen is currently dealing with the fallout of the diesel emission scandal and doing a partnership with an another automaker isn’t at the top of their priority list. Also, would you really want to drive a Chrysler Passat? How about a Dodge Jetta?

But there are a number of problems with this solution. If a deal was reached, getting the vehicles into the U.S. Market would take a fair amount of time and money - getting it certified, making changes, performing emission and crash tests. Also, PSA Peugeot Citroen is still in a recovery process after being very close to bankruptcy two years back. They announced a profit in the first half of 2015 and sales are starting to climb back. Considering something like this would be considered too risky for French automaker.

Chinese Automaker: Chances of happening: 1 to 10%
The last possibility for a possible partnership is going with one of the Chinese automakers. A number have expressed interest in selling vehicles in the U.S., and a few have come to the various auto shows to gauge interest. But no one has made the full commitment. If FCA was to somehow to make a partnership with a Chinese automaker, it could give them an idea of how their models could fare.

But there is a glaring issue with this - aside from the concerns about safety and quality. There is already a sentiment of people who don’t like the idea of automakers of importing vehicles built in China - the Volvo S60 Inscription and soon the Buick Envision. If FCA was to import Chinese vehicles wearing Chrysler and Dodge badges, this could end up a disaster in the court of public opinion.

So there is the list of possible contenders that FCA could partner with. We’ll have to sit and wait to see if FCA makes any decision on a possible partnership. But one thing is clear, there is a small group of automakers that would even entertain this.

By Cory Wolfe

As another year falls into the grasps of history, a new one lands filled with drinks, dreams, and the Detroit auto show. With all its shiny cars, crazy automotive espionage, and endless cappuccino, Cobo might just be my yearly heaven. Or is it my own personal hell, taunting me with sore feet, pushy journalists, and a severe lack of sleep? This year may just pin it towards the latter... This show sure can make someone relatively young feel frighteningly old rather quickly. Then again, a smart and well-prepared individual likely wouldn't have this problem, nor would that individual attempt to lug a 20-pound camera bag on his back for two days straight. Yeah, what the hell was I thinking when I bought that? I need a bag with wheels, not one that will put me in a chair with wheels. Enough about my poor planning, though. Let's get on with all the pretentious nitpicks and juicy behind-the-scenes commentary through the eyes of one exhausted photographer.

Surprise! There's No Surprise

Auto show season is upon us; its that time of year when automakers tend to go out-their-mind with introductions. This year, though, brought us a decidedly restrained show full of boring. Not only were the majority of the vehicles unsurprising, the reveals themselves were just average. A few lifted covers, various fog machines, and numerous turntables were the norm. Nissan, most notably, didn't even bother to try a bit of secrecy with its concept Titan. There it was, 7 am on day one, sitting out on display a full day before the press conference was scheduled. Lincoln was another offender in this regard, however not to the same degree; they at least waited until the day of to let it out. Beyond those, every automaker seemed to wait. Hold on, come to think of it, is it really any different? It's like clockwork, 12 am hits, the embargoes drop and each ensuing unveil is ruined in the process. There's very little in the way of true surprises any more. With the exception of Buick, everything was either leaked, teased, or previously shown. Leave it to the brand that's capitalized on little old lady's proclaiming "That's not a Buick!" to have the one true shock of the show.

The biggest disappointment with the show in terms of the lack of surprise has to be the sheer number of non-debuts. No, I don't mean the carry-over models; I'm talking about those aforementioned introductions that were already shown. The Bolt? Electrified at CES. The M2? Revealed in October. The S90? Displayed in December. The 911 Turbo? Announced in November. The G90? Disrobed in Korea. The entire Mercedes press conference? Printed from the photo copier. The number of true world premiers were truly lacking at this show. Even the models that were generally something new were actually just new versions of existing debuts! A few more or less doors, an added trim, a bit more dressing; there was even a concept version of a production car that originated as a concept. Seriously, why?

Oh Big Beautiful Concept, You

While there were many debuts that literally put at least one journalist to sleep, there was a bit of excitement to be found at others. Perhaps one of the best kick-offs to an auto show ever, Buick proved once more that it can make a damned nice concept. What the Avista lacks in clever naming can be suddenly forgiven upon sight of that beautiful body. Every detail of this car is exquisitely perfect. This is one vehicle that could really change the perception of what a Buick is, unlike those silly commercials. It's not even that far fetched, in all honesty. Sure, many of the exaggerated details would never make it to production, but the heart of this concept could. With a platform that is just begging for my capacity and a powertrain that's been picked from the parts bin, I can't imagine it would be difficult to bring to reality. If the reception from the media days are any indication, there will be a lot of people shouting "Take my money!" during public days.

Another concept that I was pretty impressed with was the Acura Precision concept, albeit with another terrible name. This one is bit different than the Buick in that you have to see it in person. No, really, you do. Pictures do not do this car any justice, instead making it look overly angular and uninspired. Once you're up close and see how the light hits each panel as the car rotates on the turntable, its something to appreciate. Like the Buick, this is a vehicle that could help Acura become more than just the tarted-up Honda it's always been. There's an identity here to be established, and thankfully, its shield-less. With that said, this one isn't likely to be sitting in your driveway with a huge bow on it for Christmas. In fact, it never will be. What may actually come from this, however, is a new design theme for Acura; a design full of diamonds. Let's hope the diamonds stay with the concept while the rest reinvigorates the brand's appeal.

There is one car that looks like a concept, feels like a concept, and probably even smells like a concept, but it isn't one. The Lexus LC500 is by far the most shocking production car for that reason. Lexus has come quite a ways from the quiet days of yore when it was best known as a Japanese Buick. It's recent style revolution to change that image has been mixed, to say to the least, with each redesign gaining more spindle and more katana-formed angles. It hasn't been pretty. This car, however, is something to behold. This is a design that was lovingly sketched and nitpicked to perfect. Every line has a divine purpose as ordained by the design deity. The detail, precision, and craziness of this design could put most exotics to shame. Lexus, somehow, managed to craft a beautiful car. Yes, a beautiful Lexus finally exists; I never thought I'd say that.

Are We Sharing or Are We Copying?

In the automotive world, you'll quickly notice that new trends spread like wildfire throughout the industry. From the tail-fins and rockets of the 50's to the velour and design by cardboard box of the 80s, or the faux fender vents of this past decade; these trends come and go like that drunken hook-up you wished you never had. It's not just limited to design either, as I've come to find after sitting through numerous press conferences. By the end of the show, there was one spec I was continuing to hear over and over and over. I'm fairly certain a 3.0 liter turbocharged 6-cylinder with about 400 horsepower is the next must-have item on your luxury-sports car. First Buick, then Infiniti, and finally Lincoln all hit with exactly the same engine specs, while many more have varying horsepower figures but still employ the same basic engine. It's a repeat of the 2.0 liter turbocharged 4-cylinders that everyone and their mother has.

Corporate Jealousy and Espionage

Media days at an auto show means a couple things will be present. For one, you'll see everyone hitting up the cappuccino stands trying to get as much a caffeine buzz as possible before running to the next press conference. You'll also notice an abundance of pushy people getting in your way at every step. Within these droves of human annoyances are a few different types of people. You have the determined photographer, the erratic journalist, the elitist CEO's and their protective posses, and finally there are the numerous manufacturer issued spies that run about making comments, taking notes, measuring gaps, etc. That last one is what I want to focus on. Let me just get this out of the way: I hate every single one of you. You get in my way constantly fiddling with sun visors and rubber moldings. No one cares what you think about company A's fit and finish compared to your company B's. Please, for everyone's sake, find a new, more meaningful job.

As much as they got in my way, there were some funny conversations to be heard. At the launch of the GMC Acadia, there were reps discussing the downsizing. Pretty much went like this: Rep A to Reb B: "Wow, this is suicide! They just handed the market to you and your new crossover. What were they thinking?!" Meanwhile, I'm siting beside Rep A trying to casually take a picture and pretend I'm not paying any attention. Hilarious. Then, we have the Honda Ridgeline and various reps crawling underneath to check out the bed construction. Afterwards, they point out how the bed is designed to appear separate all in the name of looking more traditional and manly but is really just a faux cut-line with some rubber weatherstripping. Finally, I'll leave you with a positive comment from another rep examining the Lincoln Continental. As he was admiring the door handles, he took note of the soft-close feature saying quite sternly "We don't have that." I wish I would have caught which manufacturer he worked for.

The Swedish do Everything Better

As a tired, hungry, and dehydrated photographer, sometimes you have to find time to stop and replenish. That actually doesn't happen, the stopping part that is. In this context it means switching from running to stationary not to relax, but to import photos and send them off to some online editor in a timely manner. Generally, this means working while waiting for the next press conference to begin. You can however, get lucky and sit down in the one of the various automakers' lounges. Here, you may do your work in a nice comfy seat with some delightful cappuccino. After running around I finally found my favorite spot to be: The Volvo Lounge. Staffed with genuine Swedes (one was pretty cute, too, not going to lie), they put the most care into making their drinks. Other lounges simply make a cappuccino while they lovingly crafted a cappuccino. Absolutely wonderful, I'm going to miss the Volvo Lounge.

Final Notes of the Quick Variety

After the photos I needed were taken, edited, and uploaded off to Romania, I finally had some free time to roam the show floor. This is the best part of media days at an auto show. Unrestricted access to nearly every car on the floor is a wonderful thing. There's no one to stop you from getting into any car you wish, except that damned Alfa Romeo Giulia; the Italians have no trouble denying you. I took this opportunity to sit in a few new releases as well as a few older releases I've been eager to fondle with the utmost disrespect. Readers beware: I suspect I may ruffle a few feathers with some of the following comments.

• Lincoln Continental: This car surprised me. I saw the spy photos, the press shots, etc. and I expected it to be a disappointment. In person, it has a certain presence, an air of prestige in which Lincoln has been lacking in recent years. This continues insides where it truly exudes luxury. They really nailed the look and feel of the materials, at least in the pre-production cars on display.
• Ford Fusion: As a vehicle that was already in my personal top 3 of its respective segment, I wasn't expecting anything crazy. In fact, I wasn't sure how I felt about the refresh at first. I don't know what I was worried about. The updates look good, but that's not the story here. Neither is the addition the delicious Sport model. I sat in the the new Premium trim and was blown away by how good it is.
• Chevrolet Malibu: Here is where I should say about how much of an improvement this model is over its predecessor. I'm not. Don't get me wrong, it's better, but its entirely incremental. The biggest departure is its looks and it does, in fact, look fine; it's certainly not offensive at all to my eyes. My gripe lies with the interior and what looks and feels like a downgrade in materials. Maybe I shouldn't have sat in the Fusion first, as that car makes this one feel positively cheap.
• Volkswagen Golf R: "Ah ha," you're probably thinking, "Here comes that bias!" Unfortunately for you, you will see no such thing. While I have briefly sat in a MK7 GTI before, it was at another auto show and I really didn't have much time with it; I didn't this time either. I did, however, have enough time to come away rather disappointed. As a current MK6 GTI owner, I really noticed a difference in quality between the two. It's enough of a downgrade to question whether I'd really want to every upgrade.
• Mazda MX-5 Miata: Oh sweet Jesus, if there is one car I would have liked to bring home with me, its this one. Such a gorgeous little car. It's as close to a perfect package as you can get and it fits me like a glove. Great touch points, slick shifter, comfortable seats, and practical enough considering its a roadster. If I had to nitpick, it would be over the rather useless cup holders and their nearly impossible to comfortably use position.
• Chevrolet Bolt: Strangely enough, I really like this little electric car. It's the first one of its kind that could actually be used as your only vehicle without having to shell out an arm, leg, and perhaps a testicle or two. The expected performance is even appealing and perfectly acceptable for its price. I could see myself owning a Bolt in the not too distant future. Am I crazy? I hope not.
• Genesis G90: This car gave me an experience opposite to that of the Continental; I expected it to be legitimately surprising. In all honesty, it wasn't. Inside and out, this car failed to feel special. It has the content and everything falls in line within the segment, but it's value price betrays it. It looks and feels a step below its competitors, even if its just slightly so. Perhaps that's something to be proud of. Personally, I'd hand over the extra cash for the real thing, one with a soul.
  

With that said, this show wasn't its best year, nor was it the worst. A bit lacking in excitement, this years show didn't blow me away with exotic reveals or highly anticipated debuts. It was merely an adequate showing in Cobo. Does it matter? Of course it does. Despite everything, this was still an important show that somehow managed to feel more hectic than usual. It almost seemed as if attendance at media days greatly increased over my last stint here, having to fight more than usual for a good seat at each press conference. All in all, I think I may have to go back to press days for more touchy-feely goodness. It's just too bad I won't be able to enjoy Volvo's lounge... That was some damn good cappuccino.

As I hinted in my two final review pieces for 2015, I would be picking my favorite review vehicles from the year. Thus, here we are.

2015 saw almost 80 vehicles being driven by yours truly. From subcompact hatches to heavy duty trucks. There seemed to be an endless variety of vehicles I got to lay my hands on.

Trying to pick my favorite vehicles of the past year is a difficult task. To begin with, I have close to 60 vehicles to pick from. These are vehicles that spent a week with me, going through the various motions. Any vehicle that I drove in a first drive event or at media/manufacturer event don't qualify (the Scion iA, iM, and Hyundai Tucson will be eligible for next year). From there, I re-read my reviews and any notes that I have taken on to help jog my memory. Then I start the elimination process till I reach a point that I cannot take any more out. This year, 12 vehicles made the cut. A sizeable group but 2015 was an impressive year.

Here are my 12 favorite vehicles of 2015, or as I call it, the dirty dozen.

Cadillac CTS VSport
Whenever I drive a Cadillac, I think how far the brand has come in a decade. They seem to be getting closer to their overall goal of beating the Germans. But the past two ATSes I have been in, they seem to be missing that final piece. Something that would put them over the top. I was worried the same fate would befall the CTS VSport when it came in. But I was shocked that CTS VSport was well above and beyond many competitors in the class. The twin-turbo 3.6L V6 provided instantaneous power, while returning decent fuel economy. Cadillac was able to find the right balance for the chassis between comfort and sport. Equipped with Magnetic Ride Control, the VSport showed athleticism that would be only reserved for Germans, while returning a ride that was magic carpet smooth.

One other item that impressed me was the CTS' interior. Cadillac is finally getting the message that you cannot go most of the way with the design and materials used. High-quality materials paired with a modern design make the CTS a very enjoyable place to be in.

Chevrolet SS
When we learned that Holden would be ceasing the rear-drive Commodore along with production in 2017, I knew that my chance to get behind the wheel of Chevrolet SS was slipping. Thankfully, the GM Detroit fleet had an SS in the summer and I was able to drive what will be the last Australian-built RWD sedan.

The styling I'll admit is the weak point to the SS. For what it is presumed to be - a sports sedan, it doesn't look the part. But the rest of vehicle more than makes up for it. Under the hood is a 6.2L V8 with 4105 horsepower paired with a new six-speed manual option, it makes leaving a stoplight almost like a drag race. What anyone sees of the SS after the light turns green is the rear end.

But don't think the SS is just a four-door sedan dragster. The SS boasts excellent handling thanks in part to GM's Magnetic Ride Control. To put this in perspective, I had the chance to drive around some roads with a fellow writer in an ATS-V Coupe. While the ATS-V had a slight power and weight advantage, the SS was able to keep it in its sights partly due to the handling. The grunt of the V8 doesn't hurt either.

Chrysler 300S
If it ain't broke, why fix it? This one line summed up the 2015 Chrysler 300 when it debuted at the LA Auto Show in 2014. Some were disappointed that Chrysler didn't go far enough with changes for the model which included a new front grille, headlights, and rotary knob for gear selection.

But I found it to be a wise decision as the 300 still looks quite modern. The 300S I had for review in the fall came with sharp looking wheels and a vibrant red paint that somehow doesn't make the 300 look like a complete mess. The optional 5.7L HEMI V8 is a delight as it delivers a burble that is reminiscent of muscle cars at idle. The V8 also packs the punch that 300S' exterior is conveying - this is a car you don't want to mess with. It helps that the V8 finally gets the eight-speed transmission that has been part of the V6 since the 2011 redesign. The eight-speed is very responsive and improves overall fuel economy to 19 MPG on the combined cycle.

The 300S is still an excellent value for the money as well. The base S model with the V6 begins at $34,895. If you have your heart set on a V8, you only need to add $3,000 to the base price.

Ford Fiesta ST
The Ford Fiesta ST was one of most talked about vehicles last year when it launched. It got to a point that I had to basically go into radio silence mode about it. It wasn't because I was getting annoyed about everyone talking about the ST. It was more of a wanting to come in with a clear mind and not having my expectations hyped-up for this vehicle.

After spending a week in the Fiesta ST, I fell under its spell. The exterior is a key item to this as Ford made the diminutive Fiesta look like villain thanks to a more aggressive front end, lower ride height, and gray wheels. Power comes from a 1.6L EcoBoost with 197 horsepower and it makes the Fiesta go like a rocket ship. The six-speed manual has to be one of the best as the motion of moving through the gears was really smooth, and putting the vehicle into gear felt positive.

Then there is the handling. There are very few cars I have driven that have given me a bigger smile than the Fiesta ST. Its small size and suspension tuning means the vehicle quickly transitions from one corner to another without any sign of roll. The steering provides an excellent feel of the road and weight that makes you want to push the Fiesta ST a little bit more.

GMC Yukon Denali XL
Getting A Cadillac Escalade with a $10,000 discount. That's one way of describing the GMC Yukon Denali XL, but that doesn't tell the whole story. It might not have some of the distinctive features of the Escalade such as different dashboard and some luxurious materials, but the Denali comes very close.

For starters, GMC made sure the Yukon Denali stood out from other Yukons. So there is a mesh grille, HID headlights, and twenty-two inch chrome wheels. Small changes but they do make a difference. Then there is the engine, a 6.2L V8 with 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet. The engine is more than enough to get the Yukon moving at a surprising rate. More impressive is an average MPG of 16 for the week I had it. This thanks to a new eight-speed automatic.

Hyundai Genesis 3.8
If you want proof that Hyundai is a quick learner, you just need to look at the current Genesis sedan. The first-generation model came with the traits you expected from a Hyundai vehicles; a lot of equipment at a surprising price, and the 10 Year/100,000 warranty. But it wasn't a vehicle that stood out in terms of looks or how it drove.

Flash forward to the second-generation model and wow. The Genesis actually has a presence on the road thanks to a design that borrows a lot from the HCD-14 Concept. Then you have the engines. This particular Genesis came with base 3.8L V6 with 311 horsepower and paired with an eight-speed automatic. This powertrain provided more than enough power and was as refined as what you might find in a German vehicle. The ride is also a bright spot as the Genesis was smooth and relaxed, perfect for a holiday road trip.

But the best part of the Genesis has to be the value. I drove a base Genesis which came with a price of $38,950 and it came with navigation, heated and powered front seats, dual-zone climate control, LED lighting, and Hyundai's BlueLink telematics system as standard. Value of the year?! I believe so.

Hyundai Sonata Eco
When I drove the Sonata Sport 2.0T back in 2014, I was very disappointed. The interior and turbo-four were huge improvements over the last-generation model. But the exterior lost a lot of pizzaz that the last Sonata featured, and handling of the Sport model was not sporty. If you were to ask me what were my disappointments of that year, the Sonata Sport 2.0T would be towards the top.

I didn't have much hope when the Sonata Eco came around to do a weeklong test with me. But the Eco surprised me. You got the feeling of power thanks to 1.6L turbo four that delivers torque at @ 1,500 rpm and continues to 4,500 rpm. Then there is the fuel economy. I was able to achieve 33.4 mpg - the highest average I have seen in a midsize sedan. The comfortable ride was more fitting in the Eco than it was in Sport model. The best part is the value argument. A base Eco will set you back $23,275, but that will net you a power driver's seat, five-inch touchscreen radio, backup camera, and chrome grille. From a disappointment to being named one my favorites, the Sonata Eco should be very proud.

Kia Soul EV
The Soul EV is Kia's first electric vehicle and it doesn't feel like it. Faint praise, but here me out. Whenever an automaker builds an electric version of existing model, there comes a number of compromises. This includes how do you package the electric powertrain into the vehicle, range, and price to name a few. It becomes more difficult when it's your first production electric.

But somehow, Kia was able to avoid a number of pitfalls that plague other electric vehicles. It begins with the vehicle itself. By picking the Soul, Kia was able to fit the electric powertrain with only one compromise. You lose out on some cargo space from a underfloor cargo tray. But with the boxy shape of the Soul, it isn't a big deal. The electric powertrain adds about 600 lbs to the Soul, but thanks to instantaneous torque of the electric, the Soul EV doesn't feel heavy. In fact, it feels spritely when compared to the standard soul.

There are some clever features in the Soul EV such as having the climate control system only provide heat and cooling to the driver, a quick-charge port that drops charging time to around four hours, and the ability of the navigation system to guide you to the nearest charging station.

Kia Sedona SXL
Can a minivan be sexy? Seems like a contradiction at first. But when the minivan in question is the Kia Sedona, then the answer is a resounding yes. The overall look is sleek and daring with bits of chrome, a large glass area, and distinctive headlights. The interior feels more like a luxury car with leather and wood trim. Then there is the second row where you can recline and have a foot rest come up (but there isn't enough space for this work for all passengers). There is also more than enough power from a 3.3L V6 and a comfortable ride.

This is a minivan that stands out from the usual suspects.

Nissan Murano SL
Whenever Nissan can put its head down and have everything work in sync, they can produce some magical stuff. Case in point is the Nissan Murano SL that came in towards the end of this year. The Murano is one of the elder statesmen in crossovers since being launched as a 2003 model. But what made it really stand out was the design. It stood out in a sea of boringness at Nissan.

That why I was happy to see Nissan take some chances with the third-generation Murano. From the deep V-shaped front grille to the floating roof, it stands out in a growing crowd of crossovers. Then you step inside, and your jaw will drop to the floor. Nissan used a lot of high-quality materials to make the Murano feel as luxurious as certain luxury models. For example, the ivory wood trim in my tester added a nice touch of class.

Nissan also worked on improving the Murano's ride. Driving over some of the roughest roads Michigan had on offer, the Murano just rolled over them like it was nothing.

Ram ProMaster City Tradesman Cargo
Even though Ram was somewhat late to small cargo van party, they have one of the best ones on sale today in the form of ProMaster City Cargo. The reason? Well, it's built for those who need a lot of space and can handle the tough duties that is thrown a cargo van's way.

In terms of space, the ProMaster City is either best-in-class or up there. Consider this, a ProMaster City has a total cargo capacity of 131.7 cubic feet of space - which beats even the long-wheelbase Ford Transit Connect. It is also very versatile with sliding doors on either side and barn doors around. The van can also handle the rigors of work with durable plastics for the front and a limited amount of power accessories. For example, the side view mirrors are adjusted with a control arm.

The ProMaster City also has a trick up its sleeve. Driving a cargo van shouldn't be a bouncy affair with or without cargo in the back, and in the case of the ProMaster City it isn't. The suspension is setup in such a way that it provides a comfortable with or without any cargo in the back.

Volkswagen Golf GTI
This past year hasn't been kind to Volkswagen. When allegations came out in September by the EPA say Volkswagen cheated emissions tests with their 'clean' TDI models. Since Volkswagen admitted they did cheat, it has ballooned into a giant clusterf$ck with people stepping down, large fines being considered, and a number of other issues.

But if there is something that Volkswagen can hang their hat on being a success, that would be the seventh-generation Golf GTI.

Ever since Volkswagen rediscovered its mojo with the fifth-generation model, the Golf GTI has impressed everyone with its performance and practicality. The seventh-generation model might be the best yet. Thanks to a modular platform known as MQB, Volkswagen was given a clean sheet to build on. It shows when you step inside and there is space for those sitting in the back seat.

This also shows in the handling characteristics where Golf GTI feels composed on the curves. Nary a hint of body roll and the suspension quick to react in when going from corner to corner. But the suspension delivers one of the most comfortable rides when doing the daily commute. Volkswagen does offer adaptive dampers for Golf GTI, but I think the standard suspension is enough.

And there you go. My favorite cars from 2015.

If you're wondering about reviews for 2016 models. Those will be returning after the Detroit Auto Show.

From 1957 through 1991, the Mercury Colony Park reigned supreme as the biggest and sometimes most expensive vehicle in the Mercury lineup. During the early years it was a hybrid of sorts, often sharing its platform with whatever full-size Ford sedan was in production at the time while occasionally plucking engines or suspensions from the Lincoln catalog.

After 1978, the Colony Park's fate was forever tied to its Marquis sedan brother and the Ford cousins, no longer did it have equipment ties to Lincoln. For 1992, the big Ford and Mercury sedans were redesigned to the new Aero look introduced ten years earlier on the Tempo/Topaz and made into a best seller with the 1986 Taurus. Unfortunately for the Colony Park, that also meant the end of the line. By 1992 Mini-vans and SUVs were all the rage, so Ford canceled the big wagons.

For some people, that end of the Colony Park just wouldn't do. If you're one of those people, you just missed out on a great E-Bay find.

This 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis Wagon with 44,000 miles sold on E-bay for only $2500. It was a mere 900 miles old when it was rear ended and a shop teacher converted it (with parts from a Mercury Sable I presume) into the wagon you see here.

The seller says that car runs and is complete with only a minor rust area over the right front wheel well. Unfortunately, there is no side facing third row in this conversion.

So what do you think? For $2500, would you have rocked a 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis Woody Wagon?

This year's Los Angeles Auto Show proved to be much better than first expected. When the news hit back in October of some the vehicles that were to debut, the show's organizers listed the Buick LaCrosse and Nissan Sentra as the big stars. Oh dear, this year's show was going to be a snoozefest.

But as we saw in the past week, the LA showed proved to be exciting. There were a number of surprises, along with vehicles that stole the show. Of course, there were the vehicles that maybe should have passed on LA Auto Show.

It is that time to grade the vehicles and find out which ones are the top of the class and which ones need to head to detention.

Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio: Incomplete
Despite Alfa Romeo rolling out the Giulia Quadrifoglio again and providing some juicy information (505 Horsepower, 7:39 lap time on the Nürburgring, $70,000 starting price tag), I still don't believe this car actually exists. Blame Alfa Romeo's track record of pushing back dates. Also, we haven't seen what the lower trim models will look like. The only details are a turbo 2.0L four-cylinder with 276 horsepower and all-wheel drive.

Buick LaCrosse: Incomplete
This car would get a high grade with an impressive interior, updated 3.6L V6, and a number of new tech and safety features. But there is one thing that is giving me pause; the LaCrosse's exterior. We knew that elements of Avenir concept shown in Detroit would influence the next LaCrosse and they are there. But something is a bit off and I can't put my finger onto it. This is a vehicle that I need to see in person before handing out a final grade.

2017 Fiat 124 Spider: C-
While Fiat does deserve a lot of credit for making their Miata-based roadster look much different, it badly needs to go back to the drawing board. Yes, it looks like the 60's 124 Spider. But this modern interpretation is ungainly. Also, could Fiat have done a little bit more to the interior? The only item that is saving this from a lower grade? The turbocharged 1.6 from the 500 Abarth.

2017 Ford Escape: C
Oh Ford, what have you done to the Escape? I understand that you are trying to bring it in line with the Edge, but the new face looks very awkward. On the plus side, the troublesome 1.6L EcoBoost has been shown the door with the 1.5L EcoBoost taking its place.

2017 GMC Canyon Denali: C+
Having to wait till late 2016 for this model is kind of a disappointment. Also, I'm afraid to see what the pricetag on this luxury version will be. Hopefully, GMC has the luxury appointments that can justify the price.

2016 Honda Civic Coupe: A
I'm shocked that I like the new Civic Coupe a lot. The production model mostly stays true to the concept minus a couple of things (the large rear wing and center mounted exhaust). It is quite the sharp-looking compact. When was the last time you could say that about a Honda? S2000 maybe?

2017 Hyundai Elantra: C
I'm getting a bit worried about Hyundai's car designs. The Sonata was a snoozer compared to the last one and new Elantra... well looks like the current one. It seems like they are taking a little bit more risk with their crossovers and I want them to take some of that and put them into their cars once again. But I will say the upcoming Elantra Eco model has me very interested.

2017 Infiniti QX30: B-
Now I like the standard Q30 as it looks quite sharp. Somehow I don't like the QX30 as much despite it being the same model with just a few inches of added ground clearance. Also, how come I can get AWD on the QX30 and not the Q30?

2017 Kia Sportage: A-
Kia continues their trend of producing sharp looking vehicles with new Sportage. The interior looks to be a giant leap ahead of the previous model. Oddly, the Sportage doesn't have small-displacement turbo option like the Tucson. One hope I have the new Sportage: Improved ride characteristics.

Lamborghini Huracán LP 580-2: B+
Rear drive Huracán? Uh, where do I sign up? But I'm wondering why it only produces 398 pound-feet of torque. I know most buy a Lamborghini buy it for looks, but a little bit more torque isn't a bad thing.

2017 Lincoln MKZ: B-
This was something completely out of left field. I don't think many knew that Lincoln was planning to show off anything besides the Continental (something we expect to see next year). There are some good parts to the 2017 model like the new front end which gives Lincoln a bit more of an identity. There's also this interesting feature of actual buttons for the center stack. (OK, that's a bit cold. But we're glad to see actual buttons again.) But then there are some questionable items. The big one being the 400 horsepower twin-turbo V6. Why? I mean it's awesome, but it also brings up concerns about what Lincoln sees itself as. It is a luxury brand trying to fill a space of what it means to be an American luxury car or is it trying to be like every other luxury car on sale? At least the MKZ was being talked about, something you couldn't say about Lincoln since the Continental concept.

2017 Mazda CX-9: A+
When I drove the current Mazda CX-9 last year, it was in dire need of a replacement as it was aging quite fast. The new CX-9 looks to be a real contender with sharp looks (bigger CX-5 isn't a bad thing), luxurious interior, and having the full suite of Skyactiv technologies. Doesn't hurt the engine is also turbocharged. Best in show? I think so.

2017 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class: C
I know that it's a refresh and appreciate Mercedes improving the SL's interior. But I wish they could have gone a little bit farther with the exterior aside from a new grille. This is a vehicle that deserves more.

2016 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport/2017 Mirage: D+
Mitsubishi, I know that you are in the process of a plan to get you back on stable ground and sales are on the rise. But you could have done so much more to these models. A new front end for the Outlander Sport? Four more horsepower and a tweaked front end for the Mirage? A little bit more money in these cars could have done so much to these.

2016 Nissan Sentra: C-
During the press conference of the Sentra, Nissan's senior vice president of sales and marketing Fred Diaz said this was the year of the sedan at the company. Oddly the only model we remember from 'year of the sedan' is the Maxima. While the Sentra did get some elements of the Maxima in the front end, the rest of design matches up with the current Sentra. Nissan's 'year of the truck' for next year will hopefully be more exciting.

2017 Range Rover Evoque Convertible: B
This is one of those vehicles that make you wonder why? But I'll admit that it looks quite sharp. Who knows, this might have a better chance at succeeding than the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet.

Subaru Impreza Sedan Concept: A-
Much like the hatchback counterpart we saw in Japan, the Impreza Sedan is quite the stunner. Now whether the production model looks like the concept remains to be seen. But considering Subaru's recent track record, this is something we're bit concerned about. At least the Impreza will be debuting a new modular platform that will underpin future Subaru models.

Volkswagen America's CEO Apologizes Again: C+
Volkswagen's apology tour continues with the CEO of the American branch, Michael Horn apologizing during Volkswagen's press conference. Look Volkswagen, we know that you are sorry about the whole diesel emission mess. But you don't need to keep apologizing at every event. It is getting to the point where if someone brings up a question not related to the scandal, you'll be saying sorry. Work on trying to get a fix out there.

Last Friday was a trying day for me. I was feeling quite overwhelmed by the large amount of work due the end of the year, along with trying to figure out what the holidays would bring forth. This would be joined by some personal issues that only added to the overwhelmed feeling. I needed an escape. Something that could let me get away from all these issues rolling around in my head, even for a few moments.

That's when I made the decision to go out for a drive. I had no destination in mind. I would just drive to wherever the roads would take me. I grabbed the keys to my tester at the time, a Nissan Murano, and just started to drive. I stuck to side roads for this trip and just began to unload my mind. With each passing mile, my mind began to clean up all these thoughts and it was there that I began to have a realization.

Back in 1969 and 1970, Oldsmobile came up with a new ad campaign promoting their vehicles as 'Escape Machines'. For example, a print ad for the 1970 Oldsmobile Toronado featured this at the top,

"12-hour day. Meetings. Memos. The midnight oil. Wouldn't it be nice to have an Escape Machine?"

Oldsmobile was using this as a way to point out their vehicles were perfect to escape the daily grind of work as they were designed and equipped to handle the needs of escape.

But now, many of us don't see cars as a means of escape. They are more seen as a tool that will get from point a to point b. Now there are some cars we do see as a means of escape, but they tend to be sports cars with sleek styling and high-performance engines.

Here is the thing, any car can become 'Escape Machine'. It isn't the car that classifies it as a way to escape the world for a little bit. It comes down to you, the driver to make that decision. You are the factor that can make the decision into having a vehicle be used as a tool or as something that can take away.

As I was wrapping up my drive, I pulled into one of those self-serve car washes to get a picture of the Murano. I posted the picture onto social media with this comment,

"Sometimes, it's necessary to hop into your escape machine and drive wherever it takes you to clear or process things in your mind."

It just comes down to you to make the decision.

For the past week, I have been driving an Infiniti Q50 and for the most part, I have liked it. The model has the makings of an excellent compact luxury car with a powerful V6, expressive exterior, and a nice balance of sport and comfort for the ride. I don't even mind the direct-steer system which replaces many of the mechanical parts for an electrical system that turns the wheel based signals from the input on the wheel. But as I driving the Q50, I felt something was missing. It was only when I writing some notes on it that I figured out what was missing, an identity. Not only for the car, but for Infiniti itself.

In psychology, identity is used to describe the items that make a person unique. Our little things and quirks that make us who are. For automakers, figuring out what they want to their identity to be is a crucial piece. Not only does it bring people into your showroom, but it also gives you a selling point. Something you can draw on in your promotions to the final sale.

This is a key part for luxury automakers since identity is one of the main selling points. A luxury car is seen as a statement of identity - this is who I am and this is why I drive this car.

For many luxury automakers, figuring out their identity is easy. Just off the top of my head, I was able to put an identity for most of the luxury players.

• Audi: Modern Design
• BMW: Driving
• Mercedes-Benz: Quality
• Jaguar: Luxury and Sport
• Cadillac: The American BMW
• Lincoln: American Luxury
  

Trying to define the Japanese luxury automakers has and is still an issue. Lexus is the only one that you could say has an identity - luxury with reliability. Acura is hedging their bets on technology. But Infiniti hasn't been able to come with something they could say 'this is our identity'.

Consider when Nissan was launching the brand back in 1989 to 1990. The first commercials showed forests and birds, but nothing about the car. It was hard to tell if Infiniti was a car or a nature preserve. Infiniti did change this with later ads, but there wasn't that hook. Something that could say 'I bought an Infiniti for this reason'.

Now it seemed Infiniti was possibly going in the right direction when they brought on Johan de Nysschen back in 2012 to help get the company going in the right direction. Aside from the 'Q' nomenclature, de Nysschen brought a number of changes to the automaker; moving the headquarters to from Yokohama, Japan to Hong Kong; partnering with the Red Bull F1 racing team, setting up a number of studios around the globe, and creating the wild Q50 Eau Rouge which was rumored to go into production. It seemed that company was going in the right direction for creating an identity.

Then in 2014, de Nysschen left to take on another automaker - Cadillac. Since then, plans for a high-performance Q50 has been shelved and it seems Infiniti is lost, wondering what their next move should. This isn't a good thing when it seems every other luxury competitor is passing you by.

With two new models over the horizon - the Q30 and QX30 - Infiniti should take some time out and figure out who they are. Then they might have a real chance to make a stand in the marketplace.

Maybe for some inspiration, they could watch this commercial for the J30 sedan.

The past week has been miserable at Volkswagen as allegations arose from the EPA that a number of models equipped with the 2.0L TDI four-cylinder were found to emit more emissions than were legally allowed in the U.S. thanks to software. Since the announcement came out last Friday, there has been a fair amount of news.

• Volkswagen admitted that 11 million diesel vehicles sold around the world had the software
• The company has set aside $7.3 billion for possible penalties and fixes
• EPA is looking into the 3.0L TDI V6 used in a number of Audi vehicles, Porsche Cayenne, and Volkswagen Touraeg
• A number of European countries, along with South Korea announce their own investigations into Volkswagen TDIs to see if they violate emission standards
• U.S. Department of Justice begins an investigation into Volkswagen over the emission violations
• Dealers will be getting some financial assistance
• Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn resigns
• The German Transport Minister announces 1.6L and 2.0 TDI Engines in Volkswagen vehicles have the illegal software
  

There are still a number of questions up in the air as to what will happen to Volkswagen, the vehicles in questions, and other items. That's where I come in as I'll be looking into the crystal ball and try to figure out what happens next.

What will Volkswagen do with the TDI vehicles in question?

Most likely Volkswagen will implement a software update that will allow the TDI vehicles to meet the strict EPA emissions. This might also cause the TDI vehicles to lose some power.

What is unlikely is Volkswagen retrofitting the affected TDI vehicles with to clean up the emissions. The Truth About Cars has an excellent article talking about the possible parts and price tag if Volkswagen decides to go this route.

There could also be a buyback program if the EPA and/or Volkswagen deems it necessary.

Will the EPA fine Volkswagen the $18 Billion that has been reported?

No.

The reasons for this are two-fold. Consider the previous penalties the EPA has levied against automakers:

1995: General Motors was fined $11.5 Million for installing illegal devices in 470,000 Cadillacs
1998: Honda was fined $12.8 Million for not reporting to EPA they had disabled part of the onboard diagnostic computer that detected engine misfires.
1998: Ford was fined $7.8 Million for installing a defeat device in 60,000 Econoline vans

These amounts are somewhat a drop in the bucket for automakers.

Also, take into consideration that Volkswagen has put aside $7.3 Billion for penalties and fixes. The automaker believes they'll get a hefty fine, but nowhere near the $18 billion.

A possible guess as to how much Volkswagen will be fined? Somewhere under the $500 Million mark.

Will there be a mass exodus of owners from their Volkswagen diesels?

Not likely. A small number people will likely sell or trade in their Volkswagen diesel models, only to suffer a loss in resale value. Many will likely keep their vehicles.

What will do to Volkswagen's U.S. Sales?

Sales will drop even further, which isn't good news for the German brand as sales have been on a downward trend again. August sales in 2015 were down 8.1 percent when compared to same time last year. Sales for the year are down 2.1 percent. This compounds a problem that has been part of Volkswagen for the past few years for not quite understanding the U.S. market and its odd quirks.

One model that could take a big hit is the Golf. The model has been one the bright spots for Volkswagen as it has posted a 151 percent in year to date sales in August.

What about Volkswagen's reputation?

It will likely take a dive. But if the past scandals with other automakers such as GM, Ford, etc are indication, Volkswagen will be back to good down the line.

Are any other auto companies taking part in something similar?

Signs seem to point to yes. Earlier this week, Automotive News reported that a European environmental group that suggests a number of other manufacturers are using software or some sort of technology to skirt emission laws.

Transport & Environment says ICCT tests show clear discrepancies between laboratory emissions and real-world performance for several automakers including BMW, Mercedes-Benz and General Motors’ Opel unit. It argued that these manufacturers might also employ similar kinds of software in Europe that VW has allegedly admitted to using in the U.S.

 

Emissions-reducing technologies “are optimized for the tested conditions and there is substantial anecdotal evidence that the cars detect when they are tested and deploy ‘cycle-beating’ techniques to reduce emissions,” Transport & Environment said in its report.

You can check the group's report here.

Meanwhile, German publication Auto Bild alleges a number of vehicles violate the Euro 6 emission standards. One vehicle singled out in their piece was the BMW X3 xDrive 20d that was eleven times greater than the standard. Now BMW has denied they do any manipulation on emission tests.

“We observe the legal requirements in each country and adhere to all local testing requirements. When it comes to our vehicles, there is no difference in the treatment of exhaust emissions whether they are on rollers or on the road," BMW said in a statement to USA Today.

Don't be surprised if more automakers are found to be manipulating or finding a loophole to pass these tests.

What about reputation of diesel?

This is possibly the biggest unknown at this time for the U.S. For a time, diesel was seemingly making a comeback with a number of automakers announcing diesel options for their passenger vehicles. Now with Volkswagen taking a bit of heat on their diesels, this could cause a number of automakers to reconsider the idea of offering a diesel.

There is also the question if the EPA could make further restrictions or changes to the requirements for the diesel models. If so, this could mean diesels are only for luxury models or just become non-existent.

This one is a 'match em up' : see if you can match the names & the faces of these early GM figures! Try and not google them; challenge yourself, or just guess blindly (why not, most of the U.S. Government does )!

A.)

B.)

C.)

D.)

E.)

F.)

- - - - -
• Ransom Olds
• David Buick
• William Durant
• Henry Leland
• Edward Murphy
• Louis Chevrolet

Give these questions a try & see how much 'auto junk' knowledge you have packed in your 'brain shop'.

1.) What year was the final single-cylinder Cadillac built?

2.) The 2-seat version of the '62-63 Thunderbird was known as the ______________

3.) In the relatively short span of 4 years, the American auto industry moved from 6-volt electrics to 12. Name 3 reasons why.

4.) Most people are aware of the 1960s emergence on the Federal level of automotive industry standards & mandates. Sealed beam headlights in automobiles were a mandate that pre-dated the Federal 'Thumb'; what year did all U.S. makes incorporate them?

5.) Pontiac sold 32,450 GTOs in it's first year of 1964. What was the proposed sales goal for that model prior to it's introduction?

Can you identify these oddball cars in this week's Trivia Tuesday?

Identify these, if you please!

1.)

2.)

3.)

4.)

1.) What is the most 'liked' automobile on Facebook?

2.) What American car pioneered halogen lighting?

3.) By the end of it's production run, how long did it take to assemble a Ford Model T?

4.) In 1969, every Chrysler Corporation passenger vehicle was in direct violation of federal law. What was that violation?

5.) Name the first automobile brand to use clay for styling their vehicles.

1.) Most windshields are basically “parallelograms”, IE; though there is often a minor arc to a given side, they still present themselves as ‘rectangular’ to the eye.

This is the 1954 Kaiser, which shows the feature Kaiser used since 1950; nicknamed the ‘Sweetheart’ windshield. Note the obvious double-arc’d top edge of the glass. For the sake of this question, we’re calling it a ‘non-parallelogram’.

Is there a more recent vehicle with a similar “non-parallelogram’ windshield? If so; name it.

2.) How is it factually possible that Chevrolet did NOT have a small block V8 in 1955 in the U.S.?

3.) Which GM Divisions built both small block and big block V8s in the 1960s?

4.) First post-war U.S. make/model to feature a speedometer marked higher than 120 MPH.

5.) 'Body by Fisher' and 'Body by Fleetwood' were two common badges found on certain GM cars. There was a third 'Body by —' tag found for many years on GM vehicles- what did it read?

1.) What's the deal with this vehicle on the right?

2.) True or false; Benz invented the automobile.

3.) Name two non-American brands to use Ford V8s and two non-American brands to use Chrysler V8s.

4.) How much wider was Pontiac's first year 'Wide Tracks' than it's GM siblings?

5.) Last one is a trick question, because I don't know the answer. Maybe one of you does. What year/make/model is this emblem off of?

COME 'N GIT 'EM!

1.) What American car is credited as having introduced the plastic front grille?

2.) In the '50s and '60s, Chrysler built the 300 series of high performance cars. They began naming them in alphabetic order, starting in ’56 with ‘300-B’. By the time the run concluded, Chrysler had skipped a letter- why?

3.) What ‘obsolete’ engine configuration did Chrysler use in one of its 1990s concept vehicles?

4.) The first (2000) 1976 Cadillac Sevilles produced were all metallic silver with grey leather interiors. Why no color deviation?

5.) A chief engineer for a vehicle manufacturer was laid up in the hospital for a stretch after surgery. To keep busy during the resulting downtime, he carved a bar of soap into a 3-D emblem for the company, which was put onto production vehicles nearly unaltered. What is the company & emblem?

Sometimes, it's good to put things into perspective.

Case in point: Last week I had the good fortune of riding in my friend Craig's 36 Ford sedan. This is a project that he has been working for the past few years and for the most part it's finish - just some slight paintwork and a few other odds and ends. Sitting in this car was a throwback. An example was the seats - they felt springy and cushy, not firm and supportive like modern cars. The dash is just painted metal with a set of dials and knobs. Your only source of ventilation? Opening the windows or lifting a latch behind the hood. If you want the access the trunk? Lift up the back seat.

As for the ride itself, it felt like a normal car - somewhat at least. Power came from a flathead V8 and was able to keep up with traffic. A three-speed manual helped get the power to the road. But you had to careful with shifting as one wrong move and you'll end up with a crunch. (gear synchros were non-existent). Ride-wise? It was pretty comfortable, but you'll end up in another area code as body roll is very evident. Stabilizer bars were not a thing till the 40's.

So why do I tell this story? Well for the reason as I stated above. Cars have improved so much since the 36 Ford. They are safer, have more equipment, and are better on fuel. But also some things haven't changes. Vehicles then and now still boast a engine that run on some form of fossil fuel, pack engines as large as eight-cylinders, have four tires, and much more. Its interesting to see how far we have come, but also how much has stayed the same.

Other items from the week:

• This week saw Jeremy Clarkson get booted from the BBC from his kerfuffle. This was the right idea considering Clarkson's past incidents and what BBC learned in a investigation.
  • Not surprisingly, Richard Hammond and James May are expected to leave as well.
    
  • Rumors have begun flying of a number of networks and even Netflix about hiring Clarkson. (Oh boy..)
    
  • The BBC itself announced that it would continue with Top Gear. However I think this will end being a flop for one reason. Top Gear = Jeremy Clarkson. Clarkson = Top Gear.
    
  • I'll leave the whole Jeremy Clarkson mess with this. Check out John Krewson's piece on Road & Track about Clarkson. Sums up my feelings in a way that is brilliant.
    

  [*]General Motors could be in huge trouble if a Bankruptcy judge reverses a decision on the clause of that no one could file lawsuit on vehicles built before 2009 due to the company's bankruptcy.

  • This could open GM to $10 billion in potential liability over this ignition switch mess.
    
  • Many are waiting for the judge to make a decision of whether or not a number lawsuits can be filled for lost value.
    

  [*]This week is the New York Auto Show, and the end of auto show season for another year.

  • The lineup of debuts appears to be very solid with the likes of Cadillac, Chevrolet, Honda, and Scion showing off some important vehicles.
    

1.) What car was reportedly sketched on the back of an air sickness bag and released on April Fool's Day?

2.) What was automaker MG's octagonal badge shape modeled after?

3.) Dodge built 505 copies of the 1969 'Winged Warrior' Dodge Charger Daytona. Why did Plymouth build so many more copies of the Daytona's sister car, the 1970 Road Runner Superbird? (1,920 units)?

4.) Name an automobile model that every one made featured a dash plate that guaranteed it had been driven over 100 MPH.

5.) In 1934, less than 10% of Jaguar's annual production was exported. What was that figure by 1951?

a.) 15%

b.) 25%

c.) 55%

d.) 85%

6.) How was the vehicle style name 'pickup' born?

Happy St. Patrick's Day, now get guessing!!

1.) What type of brake is this & what production car was it found on?

2.) How were this Olds and this Mercury legally involved with each other?

3.) The 1969 Mercury Cyclone SPoiler II was built in versions honoring which 2 famous racers?

4.) Which of these early auto brands was NOT an actual intended/production car?

Long Silent

McQuestion

Fear Naught

Schluderschimdt

Schworm

Skiddoodler

5.) Which of these state names was NOT featured on an early proposed or built auto brand?

Massachusetts

Pennsylvania

Kentucky

California

Delaware

Indiana

Give this week's Trivia Challenge a go :

1.) What was the last production car available with a cassette deck?

2.) What’s an American nameplate that has appeared 4 separate, non-sequential times in production under the same brand.

3.) What vehicle did this emblem appear on, and what does it signify?

4.) Who knows the story on this Mustang?

5.) What’s wrong in this picture (NOT the text portion) from a Dodge ad?

- - - - -

Answers to last week's Trivia Tuesday :

1. 4bbl carburetor
   
2. 1959 Eldorado Brougham
   
3. 1949 Kaiser Traveller
   
4. Allstate, 1952-1953 vehicle sold thru Sears, a rebadged Kaiser Henry J
   
5. 1956 and 1957 Buicks.
   
6. Fords smallest RPO V8 was 136 CI, or 2.2L
   

In the last Trivia Tuesday we had a Thunderbird with a giant hole in the side. This week we have Flying Goddesses and Hatchbacks. Can you answer our Trivia Tuesday challenge?

1. What was available on a 1941 Cadillac that you could not get again until 1952?
   
2. For many years, Cadillac featured various 'Flying Goddess' hood ornaments, especially grandiose in the 1930s. When did the last Flying Goddess appear on a Cadillac (from the factory)?
   
3. Name the earliest American production hatchback car.
   
4. Name an American car where the vehicle, it's tires and it's battery all had the same brand name.
   
5. Name two American vehicles that featured the model year prominently displayed on the exterior of the car.
   
6. Ford & Chevy have long battled on numerous fronts. Chevy eclipsed Ford in V8 displacement, building a 496 CI unit vs. Ford’s 460 CI. But Ford eclipsed Chevy by building a smaller RPO V8 than Chevy’s 262 CI job. What was the displacement of Ford’s smallest RPO V8?
   

Answers to last week's Trivia Tuesday:

1. Crosley
   
2. Oldsmobile; 1968 455 CI
   
3. Fireball
   
4. 1950s; Mercury 1950: 110 HP, 1958: 400
   
5. 1958 and 1975
   
6. Ford-built gas turbine testing.
   

The past couple of weeks at the Cheers & Gears Detroit Garage has been interesting for the past couple of weeks. Last week saw a Fiat 500C Abarth and the week before was a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR. During a conversation with a colleague of mine, the question was asked which car would I feel more comfortable in pushing. The answer I gave surprised him when I said that I would take the 500.

My reasoning for this choice comes down to this; the Lancer Evolution has a lot more exploitation available thanks to computer wizardry and a powerful turbocharged four-cylinder engine. You can corner much faster and go a lot quicker than in many vehicles, which can make you feel like the greatest driver in the world. But that only happens to be an illusion; the computer, all-wheel drive, and engine can only do so much to keep the vehicle on the road. If you overcook a corner, don't expect the vehicle to save you.

Then there is the Fiat 500C Abarth. A small car with a small 1.4L turbo engine and front-wheel drive. The limits in this car are much lower than the Evolution, but I feel that it makes a little bit safer and fun to push. I could press the accelerator further to floor and feel like I'm going quicker when in reality I wasn't. Also I knew that it being front-wheel drive meant I would have a hint of understeer if I pushed, which could mean visiting a ditch or something worse. Keep it steady I told myself driving on a curvy bit of road and the Abarth was fine.

I think a lot of this also comes down to knowing my driving habits. I've never been a race track, nor have taken a advanced driving course to improve my skills. The only real skills I have are from driving school and making a number of mistakes in my young age. Maybe that plays into knowing that I don't much of extracting all of the performance of a car - possibly a good thing.

Other thoughts from the week:

• Cadillac boss Johan de Nysschen did a reader Q&A on Jalopnik this week and dropped some interesting tidbits: A new V6 engine lineup will be revealed sometime this month, the CT6 will 'eventually' get a twin-turbo V8 engine, and the ELR will be getting some significant updates. I would recommend checking out the Q&A.
  
• Sticking on the Cadillac tip, I'm currently driving an ATS coupe with the 2.0L turbo and all-wheel drive. Two things I want say about the vehicle.
  1. the 2.0T is so much better than the ATS 3.6 I drove awhile back. Lots of low end punch.
     
  2. Seeing the new Cadillac emblem up close, still don't like it.
     

  [*]Chrysler can't seem to catch a break on the nine-speed automatic transmission still. I'm beginning to wonder if it might make sense to kill this current transmission and go back to drawing board.

  [*]Geneva Auto Show kicks off this week and so far the only vehicle I'm excited by is the Kia Sportspace concept. Hopefully a couple other vehicles can amp up the excitement.

  [*]Big congrats to one of our members - GMTruckGuy on getting a new GMC Canyon. Sharp color!

In our last Trivia Tuesday, we had a car painted with tiger stripes. This time around, we have a Thunderbird with a gigantic hole in its side! Can you answer our Trivia Tuesday questions?

1. The 'Farm-O-Road' utility vehicle was produced by which automaker?
   
2. All the GM car Divisions reached their V8 displacement zeniths in model year 1970… except for one which did so 2 years removed from the others.
   
3. What nickname did Buick have for it's straight eight engine of the 1940s and 1950s?
   
4. What decade in automotive history saw the largest leap in rated horsepower within a single brand?
   
5. What was the first model year for the Chevrolet Biscayne and the last model year for the Bel Air?
   
6. What is going on with the Thunderbird in this pic?
   

Answers to the last Trivia Tuesday:

1. International Race of Champions
   
2. 1967 Lincoln
   
3. Ranger (Ford), Citation (Chevy), Pacer (AMC)
   
4. 1949 2-dr hardtop body style
   
5. Mercury Cougar
   
6. Tiger Balm
   

In last week's Trivia Tuesday, we learned some interesting facts about the evolution of the Buick Riviera. The Riviera has an encore in this week's quiz. Can you answer the following trivia? The answers to last weeks Trivia Tuesday are below.

1.) What do the letters IROC stand for?

2.) What was the last year / make of a U.S.-built four-door convertible in regular production?

3.) The Edsel brand is often known as being a marketing failure, yet 3 of it's model names went on to be used by other brands. Name them.

4.) 1999 was the last model year for the Buick Riviera. When did that nameplate first appear at Buick, and what did it denote?

5.) On what make & model car was the "Eliminator" package available?

6.) The owner of the car pictured below customized his ride to commemorate what successful retail product that he developed?

Answers to Trivia Tuesday January 20th, 2015

1.) Nervous Norvus (1956)

2.) Rickenbacker (1922-1927)

3.) Golden Commando (350)

4.) Triumph (1902-1984)

5.) Riviera

6.) LaSalle

We took a week off from Trivia Tuesday last week as it fell smack in the middle of the Detroit Auto Show. Can you answer the following trivia? The answers the last Trivia Tuesday are below.

1.) What singer needed a "Transfusion" after several musical car crashes?

2.) What make of car received its name from a famous American fighter pilot of World War 1?

3.) What name did Plymouth give to its new 1958 engine?

4.) What British firm was known for both sports cars and motorcycles?

5.) Buick's answer to the 4-passenger Ford Thunderbird was?

Bonus to #5 : What was what the GM styling concept that became the answer to number 5 originally dubbed?

Answers to the last Trivia Tuesday:

1.) Plymouth Duster

2.) Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Jeep

3.)Massachusetts

4.) 1950

5.) Dodge, Studebaker

Nothing could have prepared Quick Quack Car Wash employees for the moment when a 94 year-old man suddenly careened through their Sacramento, California business last Friday.

Security cameras captured the carnage as the elderly driver's white Oldsmobile sedan barrelled through the automated wash lane at speeds of up to 40 mph, risking the lives of employees and damaging equipment. After narrowly missing a Honda Civic, the driver's wash from hell abruptly ended after slamming into a car wash vacuum, the Oldsmobile curiously landing arrow-straight in an immediate parking space after impact.

The driver of the Oldsmobile accidentally hit the gas pedal instead of the brakes, causing the crash to happen.

Speaking to a local FOX News affliate, site manager Mitch Shiveley said the elderly man walked away from the scene unharmed. No employees or other customers were injuried.

Despite damages totaling almost $100,000, Quick Quack quickly cleaned up most of the mess and was back to washing cars by Monday afternoon.

Source: FOX CT

In a December 29th decree, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev states that people "with disorders of sexual preference" are banned from driving in the country.

Identifying as gay, transgender or transsexual is considered one of the many "'mental disorders' now barring people from driving," according to the BBC. Fetishism, exhibitionism and voyeurism are also included, as are amputees and those under 4-foot-11-inches.

This move further suppresses Russia's LGBT population, forcing people to remain closeted for fear of losing mobility.

The wide-ranging law was signed just before Russia's government recessed for the New Year Orthodox Christmas holiday. It is the latest in a number of legislative measures to isolate LGBT people, shoring up rising homophobic and nationalist rhetoric that has benefited President Vladimir Putin.

Medvedev's "On Road Safety" decree claims "the decisions are aimed at reducing deaths from road traffic accidents," but does not cite specific evidence. This comes on the heels of Russia's government announcing it will slash vodka prices by 16% in February, in a country where one-quarter of men die before 55 due to alcohol consumption.

Image: By Brian Minkoff-London Pixels (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

I have a number of new features planned for CheersandGears.com for 2015. The first new feature comes to us from long time member Balthazar. He has cued up trivia questions for us to answer each week. Some weeks, we will be offering prizes to the first to answer all 5 questions correctly. We will reveal the answers to this week's questions in next week's post.

1. In the long-running TV series "Married with Children", what brand/model car was Al Bundy always bemoaning?
   
2. Name 3 makes of American automobiles that have had special 'Hurst' Editions.
   
3. In which state was the 'Springfield' Rolls Royce auto built?
   
4. What was the first model year of the Chevy Bel Air?
   
5. Which 2 U.S. brands of autos presented "Daytona" models in the 1960s?
   

Found on Craigslist - This 1980 Camaro Mustang GTO Chevelle Charger Honda Prototype.

What looks to us to be a thrown together combination of spare parts from the garage can be yours for the low price of $1,234 Canadian. That's right... 1,2,3,4.

The owner believes it to be equipped with a rear-engine 450 (cc? ci? horsepower?) twin-cylinder. He also believes that keyword stuffing his ad's title will help interest some shopper looking for a Camaro or Chevelle into spending money on this.

Three-wheeled cars have a long and interesting history. A new entry, Elio Motors, is in the start up stages using one of the closed manufacturing plants that GM sold during the bankruptcy process. Could this be a long lost Elio Motors prototype?!

This could be just a backyard project, but with the prevalence of small 3-wheeler manufacturers out there over the years, this could be an obscure one-off. If you can identify the make or model, please sound off below.

http://vancouver.craigslist.ca/van/cto/4786312924.html

wat?

Today was a sad day those who consider themselves fans of the automobile and/or public radio as word came that Tom Magliozzi, one of the co-hosts NPR’s Car Talk passed away at age 77 due to complications from Alzheimer's disease. When I first saw the news, I began to feel very sad and sat in my chair for a few moments reflecting on some of my favorite moments of Car Talk. One of the key thoughts that hit me as I was sitting down was feeling bad for this person I had never even met. But the fact I was feeling this way made me realize a key aspect of what made Car Talk so special.

Whenever you tuned in to Car Talk and listened to Ray and Tom banter on about someone's car problem, the week's puzzler, or some digression, you felt like that you were part of this conversation. Even if you didn't know or even like cars, you could find something that could elicit a laugh or smile.

For me, a favorite moment of Car Talk was during the announcement of the new puzzler. Tom began to lose it when Ray mentioned 'a dimly-lit quonset hut'. This line would become a running joke in the show.

"I think it has very little to do with cars. It's the guys' personalities. And Tom especially — really a genius. With a great, facile mind. And he's mischievous. He likes to prod people into honesty," said Doug Berman, the longtime producer of Car Talk in a remembrance piece for NPR.

A lot of this comes from the close relationship Tom and Ray had. Again, Doug Berman.

"For Ray, he idolized Tom. This is the guy who introduced him to everything in life, and Tom liked having his little brother around. He liked the guy. So when they grew up they were really, really great friends."

This was a key part to the success of Car Talk. You could hear the love the brothers share in the way they would jab at each other on the show, or doing something out of the blue. An example of this is when a caller asked if there was a way she could pay $2.00 for missing a toll on a bridge. Tom got the idea to call to the person in charge of the bridge and the rest is history.

Despite the two stepping away from the mic in October 2012, Car Talk still provided laughs and grins for many as the day they were first aired.

Rest in peace, Tom. And remember, even in the afterlife, don't drive like your brother.

Picture Source: Car Talk

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at william.maley@cheersandgears.com or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

For the past few years as an automotive writer, I've been keeping something quiet from a lot people. Some, including some of the members of this site know this secret. It's something that I have been slightly embarrassed by for the position that I have and know that it has kept some doors shut.

I can't fully work a manual transmission.

(Please put down the pitchforks and torches. Thank you.)

It's not like I have never attempted to learn how to use a manual transmission before. The first time I ever drove a manual transmission in my friend Adam's 1991 Isuzu Stylus sedan. We drove around in a parking lot with me learning how to disengage the clutch and listen to the engine as a way to tell when to upshift. A year or two later, my dad and I took my younger brother's 1998 Subaru Legacy Wagon to do the same. For the most part, I was feeling ok with driving a manual transmission vehicle, even when I stalled it every few moments.

But that all changed when I decided to take the Legacy out for a quick spin at night and only made it to end of our street because. I stalled the vehicle when leaving a stop and it wouldn't start back up. This made me felt that I had broken it. So I had to make that long walk of shame back to the house and call for a tow truck. It was determined that I didn't break the vehicle. Instead the alternator was found to be cause as it wasn't generating enough power. But even with that, I had made the decision to swear off learning and driving a manual transmission vehicle.

Now admitting something like this out in public only would invite criticism and sarcasm. Just telling this to my family only got me mocked and ridiculed.

But what I didn't say was my thought about the whole experience. While I did feel like I made some end-roads and knew that more doors would open if I understood how to work a manual, I also knew with the proclamation that I made about never driving, let alone learning; I had given up too easily. This was only made more apparent when I had to turn down a vehicle because it had a manual transmission last year.

But this year, I made a promise to myself. I would get over the proclamation that I had made and once for all learn to drive a manual. But how was I going to do it? I vowed never to learn on my brother's vehicle since I thought that would only bring me bad luck. I also didn't want to use one of the vehicles that I review since I was worried that I would cause some sort of damage. I found myself in a tough spot.

But unbeknownst to me, lady luck had a surprise in store for me.

Last month, I was getting ready to swap review vehicles. Taking the place of the vehicle I had drove for the past week was a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta TDI. I wanted to see how the diesel model stacked up to both the Chevrolet Cruze Turbodiesel and Jetta Hybrid I had driven last year. After signing the paperwork and trading keys, I found myself going through the paperwork of the Jetta TDI to familiarize myself of what I would be driving around for the week. But as I was reading through the window sticker, a chill ran down my spine. I thought that I was getting one that was equipped with the six-speed DSG gearbox. But the window sticker said it was equipped with a six-speed manual. I went outside to look at the vehicle and to my horror, it was equipped with a six-speed manual transmission.

Now I had three options with the Jetta TDI:

• Leave it in the driveway for the week
  
• Call the company and ask if they can pick it up since I cannot drive a stick
  
• Take the plunge and learn once and for all to drive a manual
  

The first option was out of the question since Volkswagen gave me the vehicle to drive for a week. In return, I supposed to write something about my experience. Writing about how the Jetta TDI just sat there for a week didn't seem like the most appealing story. Option two was also a non-starter since I knew that I would be met with grief and sarcasm. So that left option three. At first I was very hesitant to the idea since I was worried about damaging the vehicle, i.e. worst case scenario. But somehow I was able to have some common sense enter my thoughts and calm me down to a point.

"You have learned how to release the clutch pedal and the 1-2 shift. You're well ahead of those who don't even know how even to how to work the transmission. Just keep practicing and expanding your range, and you'll be able to open doors," I found myself saying.

So I made the decision to keep the Jetta TDI and learn for once and for all to drive a manual. When I made this announcement at dinner, it was surprise to everyone. Even I couldn't believe what came out of my mouth when I said that I plan to keep the vehicle and learn to drive a manual transmission.

After dinner, my dad and I climbed into the Jetta and made our way to the high school parking lot, a place that was big enough for me to practice. Once we arrived to the parking lot, we began with the basics; getting the vehicle to move on its own by letting off the clutch pedal. This was a tricky proposition for me since I knew that I couldn't release the pedal to fast or else the vehicle would stall. So began a marathon of stalling and keeping the Jetta running by hitting the clutch pedal if I thought the car would stall.

But then something hit me. I began to not pay attention to the rev counter and started to listen to the engine note as my signal of when to get back on or keep removing my foot off the clutch. Once I figured this out, I started to let my foot my off at the right point that the vehicle wouldn't stall and it moved under its own power. We did this a few times before moving onto the next item; the transition from clutch to gas. This was a tricky thing for me before as I was either too slow or fast on the transition. Also the foot work was going to be a problem as I would have to coordinate my left and right legs to get going. Again, it took a few times and some stalling before my feet were working somewhat together and moving along at a somewhat reasonable rate.

Once I had the practiced the basics and felt somewhat comfortable, we headed back home. I felt nervous as I piloted the Jetta TDI, worried that I would stall the vehicle and possibly cause an accident. But I didn't. As I pulled into the driveway and parked the Jetta, I breathed a heavy sigh of relief. I had drove the Jetta TDI and not damaged the vehicle, or anyone else around me. I considered it a great success.

As the week went on, I would take some time to drive around in the Jetta TDI. Not only to practice, but to also make me feel not as nervous when driving with a manual transmission. Despite stalling the vehicle once in a while, I was beginning to feel more comfortable. I was also coming to a realization. In a way. the manual transmission is the last control a person has over the car. The feeling of doing something to move the car; being a part of the machinery. Before, a person felt more in control with a vehicle due to mechanical steering, the accelerator pulling a cable, and a number of other items. But with the advent of technology and the desire to improve efficiency, the driver was slowly removed out of the picture. In a way, the manual transmission is the last bastion for a driver.

When the Volkswagen Jetta TDI was picked up, I was both happy and elated. Happy that I was finally able to feel a little bit more comfortable with driving a manual transmission. Elated that the Jetta TDI and I had survived with no damage. I thought to myself as the Jetta drove away, I wonder what vehicle I could ask for next with a manual transmission.

Disclaimer: Volkswagen Provided the Jetta TDI, Insurance, and One Tank of Diesel

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at william.maley@cheersandgears.com or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

G. David Felt - Editorial

Staff Writer Alternative Energy - CheersandGears.com

What will it take?

Oil started the year at over $100 a barrel and now hovers around $94 a barrel. Oil may fluctuate but continues to stay close to $100 a barrel. Refined Gas production being sold overseas keeps the average consumer paying $4 plus a gallon and people continue to complain about Green House gas emissions and the lack of being able to afford the gas cost.

Natural Gas on the other hand continues to increase in production keeping prices right at $4 per thousand cubic feet or about 30 cents per gallon before government tax's giving one a range from a low of $.60 a gallon to $1.85 per gallon. As one who fuels at his own house and pays 85 cents per gallon this does make one wonder "What will it take?" What will it take to get people to switch to CNG or Compressed Natural Gas? What will it take to get someone to consider buying a CNG auto? What will it take to make a dynamic shift in the type of fuel people use in the US?

In today’s news there has been states making huge moves to incent residents to change their autos. Perfect example is Colorado that just renewed their credits of $6000 to go on top of the federal government’s $7500 credit. This give a resident of the state of Colorado a $13,500 rebate off the price of a all-electric, plug-in hybrid or compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles.

Dealerships in Colorado are heavily advertising this with clear signs of let our finance department get you your rebate on your new car.

According to the State of Colorado:

“With the tax credits available (through 2015 currently), Coloradans would pay an additional $275-$2,400 for a PEV instead of a comparable internal combustion vehicle (ICE). By 2017, the price difference without taxes is expected to be $3,600-$11,000. The tax credit defined in this bill helps consumers to purchase cars they otherwise might not. As a consequence, they can recoup the savings on gasoline by approximately $1,319 per year, and a savings of $244 per year on maintenance costs. According to one survey, if the PEV purchase price were the same as a comparable ICE vehicle, 60 percent of consumers would consider purchasing the PEV. When that purchase price is higher, only 26 percent would consider purchasing the PEV.

The financial impact for the new Colorado incentives from the tax credit extension is estimated by the state at $2.4 million in fiscal year 2012-13, $5.2 million in FY 2013-14, and $5.9 million in FY 2014-15.”

Is this a wise use of state tax dollars? With 27 states and Washington D.C. offering some form of incentive, should the local governments be doing this to push consumers towards the Green revolution of autos?

With North America having the largest natural gas reserves in the world, should we shun the rest of the world and make the full switch to CNG as a stepping stone to a greener country and towards pure electric auto’s some day?

Currently Colorado, California, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Mexico, Oregon, South Carolina and Washington State provide some form of rebates, credits or exemptions. Nine other states offer non-financial incentives for hybrids or alternative energy auto’s.

As a person who sells Fuelmaker Home (CNG) compressed natural gas fuel systems, I do have a financial interest in seeing things move to natural gas. Not only is CNG 50-75% less greenhouse gas producing. It allows auto’s to still cover long distances something a pure electric auto is incapable of. They burn so clean that the engine itself has a much longer life give one to have to change oil less often, the maintenance is much lower on a CNG auto. I do admit the upfront cost tends to scare some with the basic home fueling system running about $5000 installed. Yet with 257 million auto’s on the road with average age of 11 years, one looks at close to $30,000 in fuel cost over 11 years versus $4000 for natural gas based on an average 15,000 miles driven.

So is the estimated $21,000 dollars savings not a good enough reason to move to natural gas on top of the up to two thirds less greenhouse gas production?

So this comes back to my original question, what will it take to change America?

Sound off on your thoughts about this area of the auto industry?

Can you identify what vehicle this gear shift is from?

This is not a joke. It's from a friend's Facebook account. He says its not photoshopped other than colour and contrast tweaks (he's a pro photographer). Apparently it's from an abandoned vehicle, all he gave me so far is the location. I asked him for more info, I'll let you know.

Fabulous Flops is a monthly series profiling some of the spectacular failures in the automotive industry. The automotive industry is by nature an innovator, but sometimes those innovative ideas are taken out of the oven before they are done cooking, and others fall victim to poor timing. Today, we are profiling Chrysler's two terrible piston-equipped children, the 2.2L four-cylinder engine and the 2.2L Turbo I four.

During the course of automotive history, we've seen automakers take the engineering that goes into building an engine and turn it into something of an art form. The end result usually is nothing short of something brilliant.

For example, Ferrari has given us microscopic engines that somehow produce massive horsepower numbers and still have at least eight cylinders. Then there's Alfa Romeo, who have built engines so beautifully detailed they've somehow managed to make the innocent act of raising the hood of one of their cars into something totally adulterous. Detroit, during the late '60s and early '70s, managed to produce the most heroic symphonies the world had ever heard from their massive V8s. On the subject of Detroit, remember the old 2.0 liter, forced-induction Ecotec four-cylinder from General Motors? That really was nothing short of a 21st-century small-block Chevy.

Those are just a few highlights from the century-plus long automotive footage reel, though. Watch the whole film in its entirety and you'll find that there have been many an instance where an automaker strives to push engine — uhhh — engineering to the outer edges of the envelope only to fall flat on its face. And while it's certainly true that GM has succeeded in this century with building a great four-cylinder engine, you certainly couldn't say the same for Chrysler in the closing quarter of the 20th century.

Suffering Through the K-Car Years

For those of us who had to suffer through the K-Car years and the subsequent fallout, the mere mention of the name LeBaron or New Yorker conjures up images of some bland, front-drive car with a nasty paint job and electrical issues. Okay, yes, I know Chrysler was more concerned with building affordable, efficient cars that would pay the bills back then. Yes, sure, some of them were sort of reliable and not completely terrible, but the K-Platform-derived Chryslers were all cars devoid of the rather admirable, plucky Pentastar personality that made the original Hemi Challengers and Road Runners such magical machines. In my eyes, the fact the platform spawned a billion soulless children and carried on relatively unchanged for over a decade is one of the many great automotive mysteries.

Born From a Volkswagen, Raised by Chrysler

It's even more mysterious when you consider people actually bought them with Chrysler's horrible 2.2 liter four-cylinder engine. I'll admit Chrysler seemed to have all of its stars aligned and ducks in a row when they were designing it. First, they benchmarked a fairly solid 1.7 liter engine they had bought from Volkswagen to use in the Dodge Omni/Plymouth Horizon/Talbot Horizon triplets. After that, they grouped together a team of guys that was led by Willem Weertman, who worked on the old warhorse Slant 6. How the 2.2 became the end result then is a huge letdown.

The original Chrysler 2.2L four was more or less born from the VW 1.7L four used in the Dodge Omni.

A Recipe for Blown Head Gaskets

For starters, the 2.2 had an aluminum cylinder head and an iron engine block, exactly like the 1.7 liter VW motor. This was by no means a bad design and was advanced for an American four-pot in its day. However, Chrysler failed to understand the mixed metallurgy required additives to the coolant that would prevent a total meltdown — additives they decided to forgo for production and subsequently forgot completely. American buyers, who were then used to a four-cylinder motor that required very low maintenance, weren't exactly ready for the high demands of the aluminum/iron design either. As a result, cylinder head gaskets had to be replaced as often as the driver would change his underwear, and the cylinder heads themselves would eventually crack.

The Carburetor and Distributor From Hell

Then, there was the terrible carburetor and distributor chosen for use on the 2.2. The carburetor came from Holley, who by no means makes bad carbs, but on the day they built the ones chosen for use on the early 2.2 liter motors, they must've forgotten everything. The design was an electronic progressive feedback, two-barrel design that only lent itself to stalling when you wanted to go, wheezing when you did, and bizarre burps of power at random intervals. The distributor, in particular, was a rather nasty device because the shaft support bushing was so cheap it would wear out in such a fashion that the rotor would eventually hit the distributor cap, which would then break. The end result of that, well, is obvious.

The 2.2 also had a rubber timing belt, which would break between oil changes, and the whole thing only produced an underwhelming 84 horsepower. As for torque? Let's just say your grandmother is probably capable of a higher amount of twist if you handed her a torque wrench.

The Dodge Shelby Charger used a tuned version of the 2.2 that produced all of 107 horsepower. How's that for power?

Enter the Turbo I: More Heat, No Intercooler

Chrysler knew the engine left plenty of room for improvement, so it didn't take very long for them to set about changing things. For 1983, they fiddled around with the pistons and the aluminum head and wrung a whole 10 more horsepower out of it. Poor Carroll Shelby also had to use a modified version of the 2.2 in the front-drive, Horizon-based Shelby Charger. His tuned 2.2 managed to just barely break the 100 horsepower mark. Then, in 1984, Chrysler installed throttle body fuel-injection, which bumped the power up to 99 and actually had few advantages over the terrible Holley carburetor.

1984 also was the first year Chrysler built the laughable 2.2 Turbo I motor. What Chrysler did for the Turbo I was take the 2.2 and, well, put a turbo on it. That sounds like it could've made a bad motor decent and that would be true if they had fitted it with something all well-built turbo engines have — an intercooler. The decision to save a few bucks by not installing an intercooler on an turbocharged motor that was, in turn, based on an engine that already had cooling system issues meant that the Turbo I was one of the least reliable engines Chrysler had ever built. Take a Turbo I-equipped LeBaron up a decent grade of a hill and you were guaranteed to boil your coolant into oblivion.

So, in 20/20 hindsight, the Chrysler 2.2 and 2.2 Turbo I were flops, perhaps not in sales, but from a reliability and engineering standpoint. To Chrysler's credit, they tried to at least rectify some of the issues that plagued the Turbo I when they rolled out the 2.2 Turbo II, which actually had a factory intercooler. The Turbo III and Turbo IV 2.2 motors that succeeded it also were fairly respectable performance motors. The Turbo IV, in particular, was responsible for making the old Dodge Spirit R/T the fastest North American production sedan money could buy when it was new.

Do you have a nomination for a Fabulous Flop? Drop an email to Tips@CheersandGears.com with your nomination. Make sure to share this with your friends on Facebook or Twitter using the buttons below.

Drew Dowdell - March 26, 2012 - CheersandGears.com

All companies do it. They make outrageous claims about their products in an attempt to sell you something. That is advertising and I accept it. A lot of times, these exaggerations are just playful and funny attempts to sell you on an idea and no one takes the exaggeration seriously.

Take for example the Chevy truck ad that ran during the Super Bowl this year. Chevy made the claim that their trucks are so dependable that the truck, along with a box of twinkies, could survive the apocalypse while Dave and his Ford truck couldn’t. Clearly no one is going to hold Chevy to that claim. It was just a funny commercial filled with sight gags that Ford ended up taking too seriously, which only ended up giving the commercial more attention than it might otherwise have deserved.

In Germany, Axe runs a series of advertisements where there nerdy guy spokesmodel uses some of their douchebag-in-a-can bodyspray and in the next scene he is in an inflatable rubber duckie kiddie pool filled with soap suds and wrestling 5 bikini-clad supermodels. Not really laugh inducing, but clearly so outrageous as to not be taken seriously.

The other kind of commercial is the informative type. These are typically filled with facts and figures with very little in the way of laughs. The advertiser may make some inflated statistical claims like “best in class”, "best ever", or “better than the leading brand”, but typically nothing that would cause anything more than a post fight on an internet automotive forum. Anything approaching deception usually gets the advertiser a tap on the shoulder from the FCC as more than a few pharmaceutical companies have found out.

So understanding that, I’m going to pick on the 2013 Lexus GS commercial called “Resistance” for two reasons. First because Lexus keeps running the commercial over and over, and second because the claims made are disingenuous at best and deceptive at worst.

Before we go on, watch the spot for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUEhY7D81Y4

If you’re a car person, even if you’re a Lexus fan, the hair on your neck has to stand up at Lexus’ gumption here and their assumption of how dumb you the consumer are.

“The draw of the past is a powerful thing” the announcer says while we watch an ancient T.V. and rotary dial telephone go skidding backwards. In the next breath, he says, “But we simply couldn’t repeat history, we had to create it.” Great! Awesome! Lexus is going to show us a car with freakin laser beams for headlights! It will run on liquid hot magma!

“… with leading edge safety technology”. Ok.. well I guess that’s good but it is kind of boring. Still, let’s hear what this leading edge safety technology is.

“... available blind spot monitoring”. Ok, but that’s not new. Volvo introduced that in 2008 on the S40 and it filtered to much of the Ford line for 2009. Blind spot monitoring is “available” on the 2011 Ford Fiesta, if I’m shelling out 45 thousand clams for a Lexus, something like blind spot monitoring better be made standard. What else are you going to show me Lexus?

“....available night view”. Throw me a freakin bone here! Night vision was available on the 2000 Cadillac Deville 13 years ago, so it isn’t “leading edge technology”. This is where Lexus really insults the intelligence of Lexus owners directly. The Toyota specific NightView has been available in the Lexus LX since 2002 and in the Lexus LS since 2009. Touting this feature isn’t going to win any conquest buyers from the German brands either. BMW and Mercedes have offered night vision in their lineups since 2005 with Audi coming to the party in 2010.

Last chance Lexus, what can you show me that is new, leading edge technology on this 2013 GS? Give me a reason to buy it.

“....and heads up display”. WHAT? That’s it!? Heads-up display came out on the 1988 Chevrolet Corvette and it quickly filtered to a lot of other GM cars. Visit any General Motors, Nissan, BMW, or even a Lexus certified pre-owned dealer, and they’ll be able to show you something with a heads up display. There are far more dead models that offered heads-up display than there are models that currently offer it. Lexus, step over here for a minute I want to talk to you privately. A good rule of thumb about making claims on leading edge technology is this: If Oldsmobile offered the technology on its cars 20 years ago, you cannot call it leading edge.

“The all new, 2013 Lexus GS. There’s no going back”.... except to grave rob leading edge technology from cars from the past... and Lexus, what was that quote at the beginning of the commercial again? Oh yea: “But we simply couldn’t repeat history, we had to create it.” None of the technology cited in the ad was created by you.. and it is all old history in terms of automotive technology.

I don’t want to turn this into a critique of the car. I haven’t driven the 2013 Lexus GS yet, (Lexus, call me, maybe I can make it up to you) and this new GS looks like a very strong contender in the competitive mid-size luxury segment. It is entirely possible that Lexus manages to combine these technologies in such a way that makes it new and unique to the field. But in terms of advertising, Lexus needs to find a way to make its product stand out in that competitive crowd. Pointing out technology from over 20 years ago as “leading edge” isn’t going to do it.

G.Noble

Editor/Reporter

CheersandGears.com

27th February, 2012

Fabulous Flops is a monthly series profiling some of the spectacular failures in the automotive industry. The automotive industry is by nature an innovator, but sometimes those innovative ideas are taken out of the oven before they are done cooking, others fall victim to poor timing. Today, we’re going to go after one of those rare flops where the idea was half-baked and still somehow managed to be popular.

Since the dawn of the automobile, mankind has found himself thinking of new ways to brave and drive in the elements. After all, driving isn’t the easiest thing to do when it’s pouring an inch of rain every hour, the wind is blowing debris and bugs into your teeth, and the bitter winter cold has frozen your car into a popsicle. So it’s understandable that car manufacturers introduced new features over the years to combat Mother Nature. It’s why cars have roofs. It’s why cars have windshields and wipers to keep them visible. It’s why cars have heaters to keep the interior warm and defrosters to blast the windows clear when it’s a little frosty outside.

While some of those features are what makes most cars so livable during the worst of what the weather has to throw at us, others haven’t made much of a difference at all. For example, many tire manufacturers advertise all season tires that will perform the same regardless of the weather. The problem is that actually means they perform terribly all year round. The worst offender, though, is probably none other than the fog light.

Yes, that’s right. The fog light is the single most useless option that you can buy on a car today next to pin striping. I’m sure you must be thinking, “You’ve really lost it on this one. I have fog lights on my car and I think they were well worth the $500 and change I spent to get them.” Well, guess what? You’re wrong and you’re about to learn why.

First, let’s have a little history lesson (and just to warn you, it's a snoozer). The first fog light was first introduced as an option on some late 1930's Cadillacs. Since low headlight beams from that time and years prior weren’t the brightest ever produced, they didn’t lend themselves all that well to lighting the foreground of the road very well, especially in driving situations with poor visibility such as fog. Cadillac therefore decided to fit two auxiliary lights to the front of the car that were aimed very low at the ground to augment the low beams and light the immediate foreground of the road to the driver. This would make the edges of the road immediately in front of the car easier to see.

It was admirable thinking, but Cadillac’s first fog light -- as well as the subsequent designs competitors would cook up later -- were flawed designs from the get-go mainly because they were all sealed with a selective yellow lens and continued to be for years. So why a selective yellow lens?

The answer to that question opens up a massive, brand new can of worms to dig through, but it all started with the French back in the early 1930s. For tactical reasons, the French government at the time thought that it might would be a good idea to be able to distinguish which cars traveling the French roadways at night were native to the country and which cars were not. They also didn’t want any required changes to diminish highway safety and sought to improve it if possible. The solution they came up with was to remove all traces of blue light from the spectrum of their car’s headlamps. The end result was a headlamp that cast an almost pure yellow light.

While it is true that French motorists thought that the new yellow headlamps had less glare in poor weather conditions, it wasn’t because that particular color would naturally scatter less, for example, on the big, fat water molecules that make up roadway fog like some self-proclaimed scientific minds like to claim. No, instead it was mainly due in part to the fact that the design burned at a lower intensity rate in comparison to a light that projected mostly white light. That means the amount of light a selective yellow beam produces is up to thirty percent less than a white beam, which defeats the goal of increasing visibility.

With all of this in mind it is curious that Cadillac (and ostensibly all the pursing automakers) chose a selective yellow lens and continued to use it for years. However, the answer here this time isn’t so complex. Chances are Cadillac simply wanted drivers to associate the color of a functioning fog lamp with the word “caution.” After all, drivers in America already associated yellow with that word from road signs, so tying it in with unsavory driving conditions only seemed like the logical thing to do. Once again Cadillac’s admirable thinking didn’t exactly pan out.

The selective yellow lens wasn’t to last forever, though. In fact, every design feature that would constitute a fog lamp since its creation -- the lens, the diameter, the height, the width, the shape, the bulbs -- would sporadically change over the years, with a few gallant attempts at making improvements being canceled out by stupid ideas and other changes making something already terrible even worse. The yellow lens would eventually give way to clear lenses that boosted the light output back to a normal, useful standard, but when automakers made that change many fog lights were no longer big and round and instead were small bars. When fog lights finally became round again they still were too small to really work. It’s not that the old, larger diameter of vintage fog lights made any difference in their case anyway; they were incandescent … which reminds me, when the bulbs switched from incandescent to halogen ones, the increased light output only helped to increase glare. Some automotive savants these days like to swap high-intensity discharge bulbs into their fogs light socket, which only increases glare further.

There’s also another problem with these damned things -- you can never find a set that’s really aimed properly. Ideally, a fog lamp should be aimed even lower than your low beams, as stated earlier, with the top of the beam cutting off directly at the bottom of the low beam. Most fogs instead can’t be aimed quite that low because of flawed bracket designs and uncooperative bumpers. This makes for fog lamps that instead are aimed to a degree too close to the low beams, making any difference unnoticeable to the driver. Some fogs are even aimed far too high, which only serves to blind other drivers.

So from a design standpoint, fog lamps have been a flop from the very start and have never gained any ground in being something truly useful. Nowadays, automakers like Ford have essentially given up on making a useful design but acknowledge the fact buyers want pointless lights attached to the front of their car. The new fangled light pipe fangs on several new Ford models amount to little more than luminescent bling. Remember the opera lights on cars from the '70s and '80s? That's all these amount to in terms of function.

The buck doesn’t stop with the stupid baubles automakers attach to the front of their cars either. The Europeans don't stop with just front mounted fog lights, they do it to the south end of the car as well. Although you might be concerned at first sight, don’t worry, the driver in front of you doesn’t have an electrical issue with his Audi. No, those are rear fog lights, which begs the question, “Why?” Someone in favor of the idea will say that it increases the visibility of the taillights of a car to following drivers in poor visibility. While that may be somewhat true, it can also serve to blind following drivers as well since, of course, they’re pretty much in your direct line of vision. Having these fog lights hasn't stopped any of the pileups of 50 plus cars in France.

We’ve established that fog lamps are useless, poorly designed, and have absolutely no hope of becoming something useful. To add insult to injury, these things are almost always used incorrectly by almost everyone everywhere. Don’t believe me? Next time you’re out driving during a clear, calm night, try and count just how many drivers turn their fogs on for absolutely no good reason if you can. This misuse also can also lead to serious accidents. A recent study from British insurance company Swiftcover states that 300,000 claims or more last year involved someone using inappropriately turning on their fog lamps in clear conditions. That’s also not to mention that this is coming from a country where the local authorities don’t care a bit to write you a ticket for using them when you’re not supposed to, so you can only wonder what the count tallies up to here in America.

Let’s just face the simple truth: we don’t need fog lamps and considering how much better basic modern automotive lighting systems are today versus what we had over eighty years ago, we probably never will. Adaptive headlights that can help you see around corners are far more likely to prevent an accident than any fog lamp will. Plus, that extra five-hundred bucks you spent to get those stupid things could’ve been better used on something else more useful for your car, like a nicer stereo, heated seats, or better engine option. If none of those things sound appealing to you, keeping that extra money in your wallet instead of throwing it away on the front of your car will only serve to keep your monthly payment down, even if it is by just a few dollars. It’s as easy as skipping over checking off that box off the next time you buy your brand-new car. Not only will you be doing yourself a favor, you’ll also help to keep the highways safer and allow this automotive flop to finally fade into history.

Do you have a nomination for a Fabulous Flop? Drop an email to Flops@CheersandGears.com with your nomination. Make sure to share this with your friends on Facebook or Twitter using the buttons below.

William Maley

Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com

February 24, 2012

A few weeks ago, Cadillac debuted their ad for the 2012 Super Bowl. The ad features the new ATS sedan and some footage of it undergoing testing at the Nurburgring. The ad ends with this line,

“So if anyone tells you that Cadillac can’t beat the world’s best, just tell them to go to green hell and see for themselves.”

The ad also calls out one of the ‘world’s best’, the BMW 3-Series.

A bit audacious to call out the best selling compact luxury car in your ads. But on paper, the ATS makes a good case; three different engine choices (2.5L, 2.0T, 3.6L DI V6), two transmissions, a low curb weight, the list goes on. But there is one item that isn’t talked about. One item that the ‘world’s best’ (i.e. the Germans) have that Cadillac doesn’t; perception.

Ask someone what they think about the German automakers and the response is pretty high. The person thinks of the Germans as building high quality vehicles, fun to drive, and great experience to buy and own. Ask for their thoughts on Cadillac and it’s a complete 180. The person thinks of Cadillac as building so-so quality vehicles, a floaty ride that would grandparents love, and a meager experience to buy and own.

GM has been hard at work trying to change the perception and position Cadillac as a world beater since 2003, when the CTS, SRX, and XLR were introduced. Cadillac has gone more drastic with their designs, worked on improving the quality of their vehicles, tuned the driving dynamics, introduced a performance sub-brand, made the dealer experience better, and so on.

But GM has been at this for only a bit. The Germans have been working on this for a long time. Look at the history of the German luxury compact sedan class; the BMW 3-Series has 33 years, while the Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class both have 18 years. The ATS is coming right of the gate and its predecessor, the CTS stands at 9 years.

GM is on the right track with Cadillac of rebuilding and positioning, but now isn’t the time to start calling out your competitors in ads. The ATS might look good on paper and in the ads, but will it mean people will go out and try the Cadillac? Possibly, but only in a minuscule amount.

Right now, Cadillac is on its third step of rebuilding/repositioning with the new ATS, upcoming XTS, and redesigned CTS in the works. What Cadillac should be do is stop talking about the completion. Instead start talking about what makes a Cadillac a Cadillac. Talk about CUE, Magnetic Ride Control, the 2.0L Turbo, the engineering that went into it, so on and so forth. But also, keep working on those improvements.

And before you know it, you can say we can take on the world’s best, and no one would bat an eye at it.

William Maley

Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com

February 13, 2012

Walking around this year’s North American International Auto Show, I noticed that something was amiss. It wasn’t the amount of vehicles that made their premiere at the show; nor wasn’t the amount of press, industry, and guests walking around during press days. No, what missing were the concept cars. The lineup of concepts ranged from group design is not a good idea (Chevrolet Code 130R) to this is a production model in concept clothing (Honda Accord and Lincoln MKZ). Only three vehicles, the Chrysler 700C, Lexus LF-LC, and the Smart pickup thing were actual dream concepts. But even these concepts had a problem; they weren’t something you wanted to stop and stare at a few moments. They didn’t make your jaw drop in amazement and wonder.

The last car that made me pause for a few moments was back in 2003. Cadillac introduced the Sixteen concept at the North American International Auto Show. It was an exercise in excess; length, width, girth, engine, and luxury. But the design of the vehicle, using Cadillac’s Art&Science language made the almost nineteen foot vehicle the star of the show. Everyone who stopped by the Cadillac exhibit took a few moments to stop and look at the concept.

But the past few years at the auto shows haven’t brought forth vehicles like the Sixteen. What happen to the dream concept cars?

There are two main causes to decline of the dream concepts cars. The first cause is the economic crisis. When the bank crisis hit back in the fall of 2008; that put automakers in a tough place or worse. They just didn’t have enough money to put into these dream concepts because they had more important things to use with that money, like new models. Designers couldn’t go all out with their concept designs due to how much money would need to be poured in. Hence why most concepts from the past few years have been thinly-veiled concepts.

The second cause is the lack of imagination from most automotive designers. Take a look back at the past year of concept cars shown at the major auto shows and most of them could just roll off the assembly line. What happened to building concepts that might show up in 10, 20, 30 years, or never? What happened to building vehicles with dodecahedron wheels, nuclear powerplants, and are shaped like a starfish? Most designers seem to think that a concept is engine, seats, and four wheels. The lunacy and insanity that many a concept carried before the crisis, seems to be waning.

As someone told me on Twitter when I brought this up, maybe what I saw at the show is part of cycle. One where we are currently exiting the doldrums of the past few years and barely seeing any concepts at all, to a recovery stage where automakers are being cautious, but are showing some cool cars. I hope so, because if the future is thinly veiled production models and group think vehicles instead of the dreamy, insane concepts; then just show me the door.