riviera74

What is the advantage of a cabover tractor-trailer as opposed to a front-engine one?

Subscriptions on top of high new car payments?  I will pass.

9 hours ago, ccap41 said:

They've already gone full EV on a vehicle. It isn't Prius branded but they're currently selling the bZ4x.

OK.  Toyota has a full EV for sale.  They still should not brand it a Prius.  Time will tell if the Toyota bZ4x is successful.

I wonder how much time those trucks posted above are actually off-road.  I have seen more than a few that have spent almost NO time off-road.

When it comes to German cars having greater reliability and lower maintenance costs, call me highly skeptical.

22 hours ago, David said:

We'll not like many here have not said what goes up must come down. Mercedes is now at the bottom of the reliability ranking by Consumer Reports. @smk4565 will not be happy that his perfect little company makes the least reliable autos now on the planet.

2022 Consumer Reports Auto Reliability: Hybrids Come Out on Top, While Mercedes Hits Bottom | GearJunkie

I am amazed that some of the ranges in reliable scores is so narrow on Buick and RAM.  Almost everyone else has models that are either really good, mediocre or really bad.

Now imagine if Cadillac put the same efforts into ALL of its vehicles as it does the Escalade (V-series or not).  Then Cadillac can become the standard of the world again, like it was before 1970.

2 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

The 5 dr hatch is what this car needed.   My wife and I would have most appreciated this. 

 

Honda tried that.  It was a Crosstour (and Acura ZDX).  Neither sold well and both got axed in the same model year.

Ditch the Accord?  Next thing Honda would do is kill off the Civic!  (Neither of them will be terminated anytime soon).

I miss the 1995 Aurora rather than the 1999 Alero.  Then again, FWD Oldsmobiles before 1995 were rather uninspiring, just like that 1986 and 1990 Cutlass Calais you are showing.

OK.  Who is buying sedans in this SUV/CUV era?  Mary Barra made a business decision, and it seems to be successful right now.  Who is going to buy a NEW sedan for the rest of this decade?

On 11/11/2022 at 4:12 PM, ccap41 said:

I was thinking the same exact thing. Utilize the branding of the Prius name and just expand it. 

I doubt Toyota will do that because Toyota does NOT want to go full EV on any vehicle.  If they finally go full EV, they will use a different name rather than Prius.  Prius = hybrid, not EV.

18 hours ago, David said:

What a blah inside and out car. I see nothing attractive about this car nor desirable.

Well, all the effort is going into the CR-V, the HR-V and the Pilot.  There are very few (new) sedan buyers these days.

We certainly could use another SS, with a manual or automatic option.  And this time, please make more than 3000 units available for sale.

As for the new Civic Type R, this is Honda.  Completely on brand and they should be proud of it, other than maybe the NSX.

22 hours ago, David said:

Overall, probably the best-looking Pilot and best-looking Asian SUV for ICE SUVs. Way better looking than anything Toyota, Mazda or Nissan has out right now.

I wonder if any or all of this will be installed in the Acura MDX, if it hasn't been done already.

Is it just me, or does that future Electra look more like a hatchback than a CUV/SUV?

On 11/2/2022 at 10:49 PM, David said:

This is why Toyota, Tesla and others that are not on top of their EV game NOW like Kia, Hyundai, GM, Ford and VW.

Other Legacy companies are going for replacing Tesla and the distractions that Tesla CEO is doing with Twitter and his lies are going to cost Tesla.

Tesla needs to replace Elon Musk with a REAL CEO who can manage the company and compete with all the (relative) newcomers in the EV space.

On 10/31/2022 at 6:33 PM, David said:

Seems North Carolina is wanting to move faster than other states, much like California in a Govenor mandate to move to Electric buses and medium and heavy duty trucks.

Governor Cooper Signs Executive Order to Grow North Carolina’s Clean Energy Economy by Supporting the Market-Driven Transition to Zero-Emission Trucks and Buses | NC Gov. Cooper

 

CA and NC: good luck with that.  I do hope they succeed.

Mega Casting is a great idea because fewer parts make it easier and cheaper to manufacture.  Repairs may well be an issue though.

Assuming Tesla stays #1 in EVs (Elon Musk aside), who will be #2 or #3 in 2030 in the EV game?  Who will sell more, and who will get higher ATPs on their EVs?

Short answer: Toyota a few years back is GM in the early 1970s, at least in terms of complacency.  Unlike GM back then, Toyota did not stay complacent. 

I have never understood why Toyota went with hydrogen when EVs are the future in the first place.  Yes, Toyota is playing catch up.  Will they succeed in the EV race against Tesla and the other legacy automakers competing in the EV space? Who knows?  Failure is still the greatest teacher, and it sounds like Toyota is listening (maybe).

Conquest sales are a thing, surreal1272.  Cadillac needs more of those.  Whether it comes from Celestiq or Lyriq sales or what is currently on dealer lots, Cadillac still needs to raise its game against the competition and take market share from Lexus and the Germans.  We are in 2022, not 1978.  As for the Celestiq being a Rolls-Royce-priced flagship, I appreciate the ambition.  I just need to see more Cadillac vehicles sold.

3 hours ago, David said:

Many of us here have said that Tesla and the World of Musk will come crashing down as competition gets EVs going. The latest report along with a U.S. and Global recession and inflation is making it come true I think.

Elon Musk's lofty goals came back to bite him again — and it's only going to get harder from here (msn.com)

Tesla could use a real CEO rather than a guy who seeks celebrity instead of doing his job.  At least most automakers like GM have a real CEO focused on the job and not celebrity.

How will Cadillac pull Tesla owners into buying the Celestiq or the Lyriq when those can be bought from a dealer?  If Cadillac cannot bring conquest sales from the current leader in luxury EVs, I am not sure how Cadillac will succeed.  Cadillac has not done very well pulling owners of Mercedes and BMWs and Audis to trade German for Cadillac, let alone Lexus.

8 hours ago, ccap41 said:

It's Honda, they likely won't allow something to leave their facilities with major issues. 

I would like to introduce you to the 2019 Acura RDX: the one a lot of people say to stay away from.  It took Acura at least a year to correct those issues in time for the 2021 model.

14 hours ago, David said:

Interesting read and I have to agree with much of what is stated.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/elon-musk-antics-turn-owners-080036228.html

This article spells out why normal CEOs watch what they say. . . . and why Elon may end up ruining Tesla.