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Known with affection in the V8 Buick world as... "The Beater" :

Funny... Neat old pic of a Ford plant... One for Balthazar... I am in a Pontiac/Buick frame of mind...

65 Riviera... Patina! I am in a mood to post mindless stuff today....Pontiac burnout...

Nice! One last pic...

Shocking! ?

Have you ever planned a trip "slightly" incorrectly? Sometimes, it's due to unforeseen events. In this case, I had rented a car for one day less than I actually needed one. So, I then proceeded to book a car for one day to bridge that gap. The car turned out to be a 2020 Chevrolet Spark 5 door hatchback. For the second time now, I have been given a vehicle corresponding exactly the car category that I rented on line. I had seen the Chevy Spark around before. I had even seen them at dealerships and I've sat in them at auto shows. The most noticeable thing about the Spark is how small it is and that the wheelbase is short. And that there is very little overhang beyond the real wheels. In this way, it is very much like European econoboxes made by Peugeot, Fiat, and other similar brands. This perception transfers right over to the driving experience. It drives very much like entry level European econoboxes. The biggest difference, however, is that it has a 4 cylinder engine (1.4 liters), while some of the ones overseas are down to 3 cylinders, and has a CVT unit instead of the automated DSG found overseas, which have a set number of gears, usually 6 or 7. The engine is a small Ecotec 4 cylinder, most of the car's parts are sourced outside the U.S., and final assembly is also outside the U.S. Fuel economy is good; however, the small econoboxes overseas return closer to 50 mpg. The Spark comes in at closer to 40 mpg, which is still respectable. The Spark doesn't provide much in the way of isolation. The driver knows what the engine is doing and what the tires are doing at any given time. As with any CVT, there is less "feel" as to what the transmission is doing. For the size of car that it is, the engine is capable enough and seems willing. The engine produces just shy of 100 hp but, back in the day, 4 liters worth of engine with a little over 100 hp would lug around 4,000 pound cars and live to tell about it. The Spark's 1.4 liter 4 is not overly noisy, but the throttle and some talk back from the engine compartment are part and parcel of the driving experience. The handling is fairly nimble and, with such a small size, the Spark inspires confidence in taking it into crowded city traffic, tight parking lots, and narrow residential streets. (On the contrary, one who isn't too familiar with their rented land yacht wouldn't be so willing to do that.) The ride is not that refined and anything but the most freshly paved of highways will transmit road and wind noise into the cabin, along with occasional jolts from road imperfections. At speeds over 65 mph, this becomes more noticeable. The Spark's interior is sensibly laid out. That's more true of GM products than a lot of other marques. There's a standard GM kit of parts that's seen in the instrumental panel, on door switches, and the like. The main cluster has a few bezels and an info box, if you will. There is a speedometer, a tachometer, and a fuel gauge. The info box has the odometer and some other key information. What's lacking is a temperature gauge. I've seen less of these in entry level cars in the last decade. Personally, I don't like waiting for an idiot light to come on to tell me that the engine is running hot. The infotainment screen is similar to those on other GM cars, but smaller. It's easy to use. So is the climate control panel. The seating is upholstered in cloth, seems to come in one color - black, and there is a fold down armrest (which may be an option), but no console per se' with a storage bin. The seats are rather flat and don't have much definition. Legroom up front is sufficient but, depending on the adjustment of the seats up front, rear seat legroom can vary from acceptable for shorter people to feeling cramped. This car is probably more ideal for shorter commutes and running errands. The comfort and support from the seats is not amenable to longer, relaxing jaunts on the interstate. In terms of price point and content, the Spark is probably in the same league as Nissan's Versa, which is their entry level vehicle. While the Versa appears to be a little longer, has more overhang beyond the rear wheels, and has a more spacious trunk, the driving experience and the feel inside the cabin is a little nicer in the Spark. However, in my opinion, the Spark falls a little short on these criteria compared to the minimally more expensive Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio. The Spark has a reasonable price in the mid-teens (of thousands of dollars). It even comes with a manual transmission, though most found on dealers' lots aren't equipped that way. Like many Chevy products, there are LS and LT models. In recent years, the Spark has been one of the few cars that could be had with manual windows. The Spark comes with power steering and brakes. And the rented one had power windows and power door locks, as well as an adjustable steering wheel. A power seat is not available. The Spark is not that bad looking for its genre. There is nothing quirky about it, except maybe a few colors such as Passion Fruit and Toasted Marshmallow! It has a simple and pleasant front fascia and rear tail lamp assembly, along with some character lines in the sheet metal through the doors. Many Sparks have wheel covers instead of fancier alloy wheels. And, like so many GM cars, the engine compartment of the Spark is more tidily laid out than many of its competitors. Overall, this is one very utilitarian and simple car. It's priced right. But the best thing about the Spark is that it can make you feel like a teen on a budget that's darting from one place to another and pinching pennies while doing it. In one day, I managed to keep the mileage I put on the rented Spark to less than 100 miles. However, that was enough to know that this car is not one that would be particularly exciting to anyone, but it would definitely serve its purpose and might even be a little fun to drive. - - - - - Photos forthcoming

Interesting auto, decent first auto for a young person. Thank you for reviewing it.

Photo Gallery EXTERIOR View of the Spark with the Minnesota State Capitol in the background View of the Spark at the MSP viewing area - this unit had alloy wheels, but many do not Doesn't this take one back to the door handle for W-body coupes from 1988 to 1996? This is how the rear door handles are set up. The Spark is not very wide INTERIOR Overall view of the dashboard Angled view of dashboard, console, and gear selector Spark main instrument cluster - (from left to right) fuel gauge, tach, speedo, and info box, with warning lights for other functions This is the center stack; the vents are slightly low if air conditioning was being sought Here are the ubiquitous GM climate control dials, be it for this Spark or their upline vehicles. Maybe making so many of them and putting them into so many cars makes them more reliable? Here is the typical GM hardware for power windows, power door locks, and power adjustable outside mirrors This system of having both a shelf and a glove box is useful Cloth seating is black is standard in the Spark; this vehicle had an armrest, but note that there is no console with a storage bin This demonstrates rear legroom in this small 5-door hatchback and a trippy cup holder and other recessed area between the seating spaces; the seats on this one were 60-40 and can fold down to augment trunk space While it's a little chunky, visibility was adequate, partially because of the more upright rear back lite ... this is actually better than some rear pillars I've seen in many late model cars The trunk is on the smaller side and has the much needed cover. Suitcases can be put in on their sides to maximize space. Again, here you see the 60-40 split of the rear seats. GM got this right, and I like having that slot to insert one's hand to bring down the trunk or hatch door. It's even included on this entry level car. MECHANICAL We've known the Ecotec branding of (4 cylinder) GM engines for about 2 decades plus, if I'm not mistaken GM engine compartments are among the more cleanly and clearly laid out ones and, of course, a shroud over the top of the spark plugs and the manifold and intake area helps make them look that way - - - - - END OF PHOTOS

@David A predator is always more of a menace than an angry appliance, unless the angry appliance is inside your home ... and the predator is not.

One more from Leno...

I want to see this in actual steel and glass....I think it will be badass. Older ICE vewrsions getting pricey. https://classics.autotrader.com/classic-cars/1982/volkswagen/vanagon/101399854 I guess that vW Westy is a hybrid, it has been converted to Subaru power. Or just combine the steam thing and the VW thing...

Since 'blu went there with vintage Cadillacs...I will see you one and raise you one. This Chevelle is wild...

Another pic of what I was roughly suggesting for Surreals man cave...

This might be the best Ford advert yet....cool... Neat Jeep advert...

Captiva looks good.

Seems Mexico will get a New Captiva from China GM. Seems this will be a 2022 model as it goes into production and sales summer 2021. GM is selling it in china right now. https://jalopnik.com/mexico-is-getting-a-chevy-crossover-thats-so-much-bette-1845654509 I so can relate to this post by The Rock who is too big to fit in a Porsche EV. https://www.instagram.com/p/CHlusgsFrZ4/ Tough problem to have when you cannot fit in any sports car that movie producers want to use for you.

I like it. It was probably something in its heyday. I think I'm reading GS and 455. After the Pontiac LeMans/GTO, in those years, the Skylark/GS model was the next nicest. (Nicer than the Cutlass and the Malibu until the colonnades changed all that.) I like the setting, with all the trees and the topography. Looks like some townhomes with drive-under garages up on that hill. Is this a general purpose photo from the web or do you know roughly where this is?

Eco diesel Oil Change is expensive as hell though, over $200. Neat Project but a ton of work, comes with parts car... https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/columbus/?hoisted_items=3215106891951034&multi_permalinks=1784888301659079&gid=191281357686456&notif_id=1604608733848813&notif_t=commerce_interesting_product&ref=notif

According to the latest interview with Jeep leadership, Jeep wants to be the Greenest SUV company in the world. As such the plans to go hybrid and EV are being put into place. Yet with that said, Jeep is also moving forward with giving Jeep Lovers of all things ICE another monster to desire and enjoy. Jeep Wrangler 392 which is a 6.4L V8 Monster motor. To quote the story: Jeep EPA combined figures are better than you probably thought. For the 2021 Cherokee, depending on engine type and size, 21 to 26. The 2021 Compass, 25. The 2021 Gladiator, 16-24. The 2021 Grand Cherokee, 15-21, with the 5.7-liter V-8 being 17, the 6.4-liter V-8 coming in at 15. The 2021 Renegade, 24-27. And for the 2021 Wrangler, 19-25, the top number being the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel. https://www.thedrive.com/news/37645/jeep-wants-to-become-the-greenest-suv-brand-in-the-world

Ford showed off their latest update of the EV family with the Mach E, Transit E van and F-150 E that is showing aggressive tires, front skid plate and other tid bits that has the media asking if the F-150 E truck will have an FX-4 package for off road? More details at the link below. https://www.autoblog.com/2020/11/12/ford-electric-f150-teased/

Mercedes-Benz has announced that their EQA EV will be pushed to late 2021 for production and delivery while showing more of what the actual CUV will look like along side a heavily camo'd S-class EV car. https://electrek.co/2020/11/16/mercedes-benz-eqa-less-camouflaged-electric-crossover-delays-launch-2021/

Given how dependent we are becoming on China you should be writing repair quotes on these before your morning coffee gets cold.

Actually leaning toward one of these. It's got everything a citizen of colonial China deserves!

@10:26 POV is some swift movement off the tree

Nice outlining of pros and cons, as well as the summary. Yes to the Pentastar V6. And it has taken me a very long time to warm up to Mopar and this engine sure has helped. The other thing that the Pacifica does in terms of styling - that most other similar vehicles don't do - is that it cants the rearmost window back from the C-pillar, whereas almost all car design taper it toward the rear. While this is a stretch, it's analogous to what the last Olds Alero did with the rear passenger window in its coupe, and was successful with it. Same goes for the Pacifica. Here's one I spotted in October (the 14th), as indicated by the plethora of pumpkins behind the vehicle in the supermarket parking lot. The treatment of the rear side window at the C-pillar can be seen here.

My high school car was a chevette scooter. Performance machine!! https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a30468937/toyota-gr-yaris-photos-info/?utm_medium=social-media&utm_campaign=socialflowFBCD&src=socialflowFBCAD&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR2GgAt126IdedS2dNe4t8qKKjDkYJh6TdI5kf-5HlnAFlfq7itW6nKCtFQ ocnblu’s next ride !!!!

Having sold cars at a dealership, those are THE questions

You realize gas then was like 25 cents per gal. Cadillacs in the mid-century got surprisingly good mileage. Early 50's cars could get up to 20 MPG... but back in the late '30s, gearing was higher to offset the lower power-weight ratios of the day. At least (from a MPG standpoint)- they were all manuals in '38. Of course, MPG was of no concern then in general, and especially to Cadillac owners specifically. Much like a 15-MPG mercedes was in 2015.

So like compliance EV's less than a 100 miles! Got it, Thank you for playing the game and realizing early ICE auto's had limitations too. 5.7L V8 with just 140 HP, single digit fuel economy as to why it needed a 26.5 gallon fuel tank.

I may have stated this once before. I don't know anyone personally with a Tesla (or any other EV). I would happily drive one given the opportunity. I'll try (almost) anything once. • Last time I was at one occasional customer's house, I saw he had a Tesla charger installed on his garage wall, but the car wasn't there that day. • The next-door neighbor to my parent's has a white Model 3; their charger is on the outside side wall of their garage (?), but I've never spoken with them. My father says the owner likes it tho. That's it. I do a lot of work in Princeton NJ, a high income area (2018 median income: $138K). None of those customers of mine has an EV tho.

I'm still waiting for the (Star Trek) Replicator. Where's the work being done on that??

^ Is that from GoT? - - - - - People should speak for themselves, not project their beliefs / narrative on others. The concept that a person is "afraid" of a given Thing simply because their preference is elsewhere is wildly erroneous, and it's projection. I'm not afraid of Volvos because I prefer Pontiacs & Buicks, I just have no use or appreciation for volvos.

Sorry. I will take what Cadillac is offering in terms of BEVs. That BMW is more cartoonish than ever, regardless of whether it is a BEV or an ICE SAV. Who hired their stylists and designers?

GM has instituted a voluntary recall of the nearly 70,000 Chevrolet Bolts built to date due to a potential fire issue. To date, 5 Chevrolet Bolts have burned down. This affects all battery packs built in Korea by LG Chem. The 2019 Models which started mid year and the 2020 model Bolt uses battery packs built in Michigan and do not exhibit this issue. They can continue to charge to 100%, but the rest will have a cap put in at 90%. Tesla did this with their early model S & X according to the story when they hit issues that would cause over heating and fire. What you need to know if you are a 2017-2019 Bolt Owner: There have only been 5 fires out of almost 70,000 cars on the road over 3.5 years GM recommends that you don’t park your car in a garage at full state of charge GM recommends that 2017-2018 Bolt owners set “Hilltop” state of charge or 2019 owners manually set to 90% when charging. Instructions are below. Some 2019 Bolts were made from LG Cells manufactured in Holland MI and those aren’t affected by this recall. Chevy Dealerships will put a 90% top limit on the amount of charge (There is no OTA) until there is a long term solution found https://electrek.co/2020/11/13/gm-recall-chevy-bolt-evs-potential-fire-risk/ https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1130299_fire-concern-prompts-2017-2019-chevy-bolt-ev-recall-owners-asked-to-charge-to-90-for-now In support of moving forward with eventual long range Semi Class 8 trucks where they refuel during required driver down time. An initiative is being done to bring about MegaWatt fast charging that would in the same time frame for Diesel refueling allow EV Semi's to recharge. Quote: The ultimate goal of the MCS task force is to develop a system that could charge a truck’s massive battery pack in half an hour. https://chargedevs.com/newswire/task-force-to-develop-megawatt-charging-system-for-heavy-duty-evs/

1. Isnt this a car forum? 2. You want to "harness" everyone else....BULLY everybody else unto YOUR shytty opinion. You are a joke. You are an asshole.

I disagree with you as the 2-series has NO SOUL, They lost the soul of a driving machine decades ago. X7 is a decent butt Ugly SUV, not a tarnish, just a sad excuse for external styling. Keep the Gov Talk about of the channel please. Lets not end up having it locked as last time. @oldshurst442 Focus on the Auto only and do not give any place for others to run into politics. EV haters will have their day and go the way of past extinct animals.

Like I said.... There is NEVER any rebuttal. You bully. You troll. You whine and play the victim. You are a sad man.

Seems GM has announced they are hiring 1,100 people for their battery plant in Northeast Ohio. https://media.gm.com/media/us/en/gm/home.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2020/nov/1105-ultium.html Those interested in the various jobs can apply at their web site. Ultium Cells LLC Website

That does seem correct as a 23% of 21mpg(diesel city rating) would be almost 5mpg meaning the hybrid would be rated 25.8mpg(round up or down and you can tell it isn't compared to the diesel). The hybrid is roughly 14% more efficient in its city rating than the diesel.

I think this bolded part is what you missed and makes way more sense now. "Fuel economy alone, the F-150 Hybrid should improve city MPG by around 23%. This will translate into some pretty noticeable fuel pump savings."

Porsche News An interesting story came out today by Porsche about 15 concepts that they never showed off after building them. The one that is getting chatter online is their Electric Mini Van they built in 2018. You can also check out the Porsche 919 street car, Porsche Vision Spyder and more at the links below. Update, seems if your looking at the various pictures, Porsche accidentally showed off the clay model of their 3rd EV the Porsche Macan SUV. While Porsche has pulled the image from their sites, the internet has already captured the image for life according to the pictures here at this link. https://www.thedrive.com/tech/37603/alleged-porsche-macan-ev-concept-model-accidentally-shown-in-now-retracted-photo https://press.porsche.com/prod/presse_pag/PressResources.nsf/Content?ReadForm&languageversionid=1155872 https://www.porsche.com/australia/aboutporsche/pressreleases/pca/?id=617521&pool=international-de&lang=none https://newsroom.porsche.com/en_US/products/porsche-unseen-design-studies-car-visions-22865.html

Hyundai Product Blitz News Between today and December 31st 2021, Hyundai announced today a major product blitz of 12 new and significantly enhanced SUVs. The 12 new SUV products over less than 15 months includes refined gasoline as well as new Hybrid, Plug-in, BEV and N Performance Models. Tucson, Santa Fe, Kona, and Santa Cruz will be refreshed and or enhanced. A all new electrified SUV will also come out. Quote: Hyundai today announced a sustained and commanding product blitz of 12 new and enhanced SUVs continuing through the 2021 calendar year. The fresh pipeline of new SUV products will include new and refined internal combustion, hybrid, plug-in, BEV and N performance models. These models include the Tucson, Santa Fe, Kona, Santa Cruz and a new dedicated-platform, electrified Ioniq SUV, all of which feature new designs, eco powertrain availability and major platform options. https://www.hyundainews.com/en-us/releases/3192

Per the following link https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1130266_r1t-and-r1s-electric-trucks-rivian-confirms-more-about-pricing-range-specs-ahead-of-orders Seems Canada will now be able to order on November 23rd for deliveries starting in November 2021. R1T Launch Edition starts at $75,000, a mid level version with deliveries in June 2021 R1S Launch Edition starts at $77,500, a mid level version with deliveries in August 2021 Both will launch with a 135 kWH battery pack that will get 300 plus miles on a charge based on the EPA testing scale. Unlike GM Super Cruise or Ford's Active Drive Assist which is a package you have to pay for, Rivian is making their Driver+ a standard feature. QUOTE: Rivian notes that all of its vehicles will have a Driver+ feature described as “true hands-free driving assistance” that will be getting added functionality through over-the-air updates. With the redundancy of two computing platforms plus 12 ultrasonic sensors, 10 exterior cameras, and 5 radar units, it compares to most other systems but offers more sensing than Tesla’s Full Self-Driving suite.

The third link posted is where they mention the 23% increase in gasoline efficiency. I followed their link and discovered more info which I updated the above post with the following: UPDATED INFO: Far more details at this Ford Dealership web site based on them talking to Ford. https://www.phillongford.com/new-ford-f-150-hybrid.htm Here based on the dealership talking to FORD and what Ford has released to them, they have far more detailed info about the Hybrid pickup and comparison to Diesel and they state the V6 Hybrid system is 23% more fuel efficient.

I would agree with that! Would be fun too....

@trinacriabob Here is the first of them that I read on the Prime Plugin Hybrid. https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1128706_2021-toyota-rav4-prime-first-drive-review-the-way-a-plug-in-hybrid-should-be Here is a second review on the Rav4 Prime. https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/reviews/2021-toyota-rav4-prime-preview/

Reviews say the hybrid and plug-in hybrid actually drive better than the lower end Rav4's. Better than the Lexus predator mouth grill.

I liked the review!! And the pictures..... ? I thought it was ugly when it first came out- but the style is starting to grow on me....