G. David Felt

Got to get up and personal with a CX-9 over the weekend as my sister is considering trading in her Mazda 6 for a CX-9 or CX-5. They are nice, not at roomy as my full size SUV's, but nice. Mazda has stepped up their interior to compete on the Buick, Lincoln, Acura level of auto's.

First off, I disagree with your statement about Encore needing to grow. NO COMPANY needs to grow a label, that is why you have subcompact, compact, medium, large, etc. for sizing of auto's, you need an auto bigger than the Encore, you step up to the Envision or the Enclave. I do agree with you about Buick not needing a performance division or segment. I think since no one has had access yet to an Envision it is way to early to say that the Envision cannot compete with the Mazda CX-9. Plus the envision is smaller than the CX-9 that really is to compete with the Enclave is my understanding. It would be the CX-5 that competes with the Envision. I do think you hit some valid issues with the rest of your post.

Summer Solstice

Top Gun

We'll it was nice while it lastest for 42 seconds and American Engineering proved to be better again than anything overseas!

Grafitti

Point well made, we might as well do what SMK is doing and hence just use GM versus MB in who has the most trucks, the most CUVs/SUVs, who has the most subcompact, compact, mid size, full size auto's, who has the most commercial, etc. Guess since MB is no longer the elite only Luxury auto company we need to truly compare apple to apple! GM Versus MB, Guess we know who truly wins!

One day you will understand how ignorant your post truly was. BTW, this was bean counting, as well going after the bottom feeder market. mercedes-benz-cla-breakthroughs-large-10.jpg WOW If that does not show MB has joined the rank n file of the Ford, Dodge, Toyota and Chevy buyers, I have no Idea what does. Clearly MB is NOT the Luxury Auto Maker any longer but a mass market machine living off their legacy of past desire to be different than everyone else. Now they are just a Mass Produced Jelly Bean Company of Auto's. Yeah, since they don't make full size V12 luxury sedans, coupes, or luxury convertibles, such as these. WOW talk about a lack of style, originality or anything else that other than badge snobs would want gives any desire. Sorry SMK, I know you love your beloved MB, but these are the most generic blah auto's ever! Many other german brands have better style than this allotment. Nothing here that makes me want or desire to have one of them. If I was to choose an MB, then I would have to pass on all their butt ugly CUV/SUVs and look to the AMG line that makes me excited. Just 3 auto's that I could enjoy having: Black Brabus E63 station wagon AMG GT3 AMG Gran Turismo

One day you will understand how ignorant your post truly was. BTW, this was bean counting, as well going after the bottom feeder market. mercedes-benz-cla-breakthroughs-large-10.jpg WOW If that does not show MB has joined the rank n file of the Ford, Dodge, Toyota and Chevy buyers, I have no Idea what does. Clearly MB is NOT the Luxury Auto Maker any longer but a mass market machine living off their legacy of past desire to be different than everyone else. Now they are just a Mass Produced Jelly Bean Company of Auto's.

Happy Memorial Day everyone, Have a great weekend!

new Civic sales are on fire. They are selling like hotcakes around here. Just saw my first civic in the wild and I have to say it is every bit as Ugly as the pictures. Yet it will sell to the existing civic sheeple as they are brainwashed on Honda and the image/quality of honda no different than SMK on his MB Kool Aid.

The world needs work trucks, the world DOES NOT NEED Bentley.

Because 99.99999% of new car buyers want a CUV. Yet Buick sold 223,055 auto's in 2015 of which 32,000 were Verano. That means Verano made up 7% of sales. That is still not a number to just throw away in the US market.

Just finished the 100,000 mile service plus some things that needed addressing on my 2008 AWD Trailblazer SS. I took it in for the 100,000 mile tune up, AWD Service, Oil Change, Coolant system flush, Transmission flush, as well as replacing the air filter, AC belt replacement and an HVAC issue in the dash. Loaner auto supplied by Dougs Cadillac: 2016 AWD XTS with the V6. Total Cost of service, $3,334.96 or equals $370.55 per year plus oil changes, brakes and tires over the last 9 years. So while everything else was normal for the 100,000 mile service, the HVAC repair was unexpected which cost $1,268.28 + tax =$ 1,388.77. If I did not have the HVAC failure in the dash along with one of the actuators that was sticking plus the HVAC control module, the cost would have been $1,946.19 or $216.24 per year over the 9 years. Over all I feel this is actually very cheap for the 9 years of service I have had pretty much trouble free. Yes, I know that I could have done much of this work myself, but with time at a premium, paying a dealership to make sure it is all done to spec is worth it to me. I also was happy that both the transmission and engine management system was flashed with the latest updates from GM and WOW what a difference it made to the way the auto drives and responds. Love it even more now. XTS Review I got the 2016 XTS in Graphite Metallic with the Jetblack interior with just over 3000 miles and since the dealership had to bring in the hvac parts ended up driving it for 7 days and taking it on a long road trip putting on almost 1000 miles. Dislikes: Being an SUV driver, the auto sits way to low to the ground but that is clearly personal preference. If changing drivers and not turning off the auto and using the other fobe, it was surprising that after so many Cadillacs that you push the button and it changes the seat settings for you, in the XTS you actually have to press and hold the button till it moves to your preferred seating. Hard to tell the corners of your auto, luck this thing had so many cameras and sensors. Blind spot sensors, when on the freeway in heavy traffic, having the amber flashing so much in your rearview mirrors is an annoyance. I turned it off Likes: Very Quiet interior when driving, no wind noise, barely any road noise, just amazing quietness. Interior LED piping on dash, doors, foot wells, to illuminate the over all interior. Exterior LED lighting of the auto at night with illumination from the side mirrors, LED lighting on the door handles as well as front and rear. Over all making it very safe and easy to get into and out of the auto. Fit N Finish both exterior and Interior, was very impressed with it over all. Memory seats for both driver and front passenger. Love that you can set the seat for two different people on the front seats and that they respond to either fobe 1 or 2 in setting the seats, side mirrors, pedals and steering wheel settings. Bose audio system, loved it, was very customizable and enjoyed it with the XM system. CUE, Yes some might be surprised, but my wife and I loved how responsive it was, the constant updates and suggested drive around for road traffic. Also the instant weather option that showed the week of weather by day or by hour it was very intuitive to me and such a nice improved experience over my 2006 Escalade ESV Platinum that I have or the 2004 SRX or 2008 SRX as well as the trailblazer nav system. Customizable Dash display so you can see the music info, gas miles remaining on the tank, plus a whole lot more in addition to the standard MPH and RPM gauge. Was a very tasteful floating look display. Ultraview sunroof was very nice and made the car feel very spacious. 22 position front bucket seats with massage feature, I feel needs to be on all auto's, that just really made it comfy after a long drive to turn it on and relax the body. Cameras all the way around the auto, makes it very nice to see what is all around you and much easier to parallel park. I am surprised but I actually came to like the sensors of rumbling your butt for the lane sensors as well as when you back in or pull into a spot to remind you how close you are getting. Over all I wish it has the twin turbo v6 as this was more than sporty enough to move around but I am used to considerably more power. What was so interesting was people asking about the auto at night due to how sharp it looked with all the LED lighting on the car and the quiet large interior this auto has. Upon returning it, they just got in a white new CT6 off the truck and I have to say that car is very impressive in person, love the pad to control the CUE system. I cannot wait till they have plenty in stock so I can test drive one. We'll ask away if you have any questions, comments, etc. Thanks,

Since it is so funny, I will give you an additional butthurt down vote for this! -1

32K cars is nothing to sneeze at, why not a mild inexpensive upgrade of interior and keep selling it for those that do not want a CUV?

Here is more of the North Cascade Highway.

Did the North Cascade loop drive last weekend and here are a few pictures. The water streams are very full but the warm weather is bringing out the flowers early. Weird that the images got turned from their last setting. Sorry.

Cruze

I question if Bentley can continue to build an auto with a V8 or even a W12 down the road in the era of strict emissions and no other options for offsetting the poor mpg. I still think we are in the final years of big turbo V8 and 12s if a car company does not have other EV or hybrids that off set the poor mpg and emissions. Plus Tesla has proven to the world you can have luxury in a pure EV package. Bentley should go pure EV or just become a page in the history books.

OK, cute commercial, but how can one really tell what is the gas, EV and turbo? I have looked over and over and see nothing that would indicate this to me other than rodents trying to be human driving a box on wheels?

Very cool read on how they are bonding aluminum to steel in a special spot weld approach. This will save millions and if it works properly should also greatly help out flexibility in the plants.

Interesting how you only focus on the 500+ HP rather than admit that MB will also produce some best effort at that cause their basic engine will start at 75kW or 101HP which is half of what the Chevy BOLT will be which is 150kW or 200HP.

Chevy Bolt makes another review their EV strategy just like Ford did after their joke of a 100 mile ev update to the focus, then they changed the following week to we are going to do a 200 mile ev also. BOLT caught the world by surprise and forced Tesla's hand. The BOLT should really change the auto industry I think.

Seems that since BMW came out with their iPerformance Line, MB now needs to copy them also. iPerformance story here: http://www.cheersandgears.com/topic/86922-bmw-iperformance-anything-new-or-just-addressing-cafe/ I just hope that Cadillac does not ignore this market. They need to have EV's in all levels.