G. David Felt

Wife and Kids took me to Cinebarre theater where we had pitchers of Sangria, burgers and watched Jurassic World which totally rocked and the best two scenes were when the idiot baby sitter died and when Chris Pratt said watch your 6, we have a new Alpha!

Going on vacation in 2 days and having hard time focusing on work.

I don’t think that’s the case at all. From what I recall about acoustic properties, sound and electrical wave properties are very similar. I don’t recall the unit of measure, but it is a lot like impedance or resistance to pressure. Thus, aluminum resists both more than steel, which is more excitable due to it’s density. And combined with the fact that aluminum bodies are typically much thicker gauge, and any specific materials properties now have to consider volume. In fact, I am no recalling an F-150 document that mentioned how optimization for strength and sound in critical areas, is easier with aluminum, because you are not paying a huge weight penalty by adding needed local thickness. Anyway, chipping away at sub system weight with exotic materials and processes only nets you so much reduction. Even when taken to the extreme, and unless shaving fractions of 1/10ths of seconds on a track is your goal, there is little other benefit. Fuel economy gains are minimal. So as we all cheer for the automakers to double the price of our family sedan to gain a leg up in bragging rights, maybe we should pause and gage the real benefit, which is seldom realized. Hey, it keeps me employed, but I like to question everything. So you bring up some interesting points and so in looking online, it would seem that aluminum when thicker than steel does quiet things down better, but strength is in steel and they now have ways to produce steel parts that are either painted with sound deadening paint or as GM has done with Buick that uses quiet steel to kill sound. Steel dissipates heat better than aluminum. If you want to fully understand Quiet Steel read this: http://www.matsci.com/acoustic-materials/quiet-steel/ Here is another story on how Quiet steel reduces weight and noise. http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2011/12/08/017782-popular-noise-damping-quiet-steel-finds-new-role-reducing-vehicle.html Even Canada does a great write up on what Quiet Steel is http://www.autos.ca/auto-tech/feature-what-on-earth-is-quiet-steel/ I think Quiet steel has a real future in auto's.

That should make a number of people very happy.

Agreed, Fisker better nail this one out of the ball park coming back in to take on Tesla and other companies as more and more introduce pure Electric auto's.

I've seen the Sentra 1.8L/CVT brought up more than once because it fails to achieve it's lofty mpg rating. I'm curious about DCTs though, since they're mechanical operation makes them similar to manual transmissions. DCT's can do well in the MPG department but I have always seen companies move away from them due to cost.

But if we follow the Mighty SMK who thinks MB is the worlds best then this is OK because the higher end models are not to be so bold in their design and more generically flowing.

The CTS is integrated into the dash with tracks and much more support. Very hard but not impossible to break compared to BMW and MB that use a small arm to hold the floating nav and is like a rear view mirror and is much more easily breakable. There are plenty of people who value performance crossovers but would rather support a fellow american with an american job than send their hard earned money out of the country to support some other country. Eventually we will get a V-Sport edition of the SRX I am sure of it and it like the ATS and CTS will tromp your mighty MB.

This is and was the original competitor to Cadillac SRX Generation 1. It is a Station wagon on steroids of a CUV just like the SRX. Old hat, been there done that and everyone else moved on and Mercedes just is milking this old duck.

The pictures also don't show how large the car really is.... it's really long. The car is long and actually reminds me of the 70's corvette with the long body and haunches over each wheel. To each his own but I still see an old body style. Wether it sells or not the public will decide!

How often does our dash get hit by things?!?!? It would get hit as often as any other screen in that location. Dash gets hit plenty but is part of a large area that can absorb hits. These floating nav screens are like the rearview mirrow and tend to connect via a single arm and that I can see breaking. I see plenty of people who have broke off their rear view mirror which always throws me also. but it happens and I suspect it will with this.

If you take the Diesel and add CNG to it so you blend at 50/50 you get higher HP and Torque and lower operating cost long term.

I am excited to see these trucks. I wonder if they sell well if we will see badged GMC version.

Naw they just scrap it and recycle it into a new one!

Floating Nav Screen is STUPID!, Just another item for people to hit and break and I suspect it will be broken by many. What would be cool is for Cadillac to take the page from Tesla and do a massive large screen in the center stack.

Interesting, but the style is old and the product missed the window and I think there will be other players with less expensive options but that give more for the money. I do not understand why it is taking them so long.

I think you really need to think of it in terms of 3rds! OEM Factory original Mustang or Camero OEM Performance Tuned Mustang or Camero 3rd party Tuned Mustang or Camero such as Shelby or Hennessey. Thinking that way which way would you go?

Butthead

I love my rides, but love tuned performance rides. Nothing wrong with an OEM Tuned ride over a basic ride but in reviewing this I believe you are talking about 3rd party tuners? Count me as one who would buy a tuned ride............... preferably from the OEM performance division.

Simplicity will always win customers but to simplistic and you will loose them. Sounds like a company that has taken a page from Tesla, minimal buttons, more menus on the graphic screen.

The facts on Diesel are clear just like CNG. The up front cost are bigger than petrol but if you hold for more than 3yrs, you not only gain your money back but reduce the long term cost. ROI or return on Investment has always been at least 3yrs. Now with pickup trucks, SUV's and medium duty trucks you are looking at about 18 months for ROI of Diesel and CNG based on 15K miles a year driving.

^^^ this is EXACTLY my fear. Benz, Cadillac, Audi.. any of them... This is a technology I simply have no desire to see come to fruition.. and if a vote ever comes to play on the political side.. I would personally cast a vote to not allow for it. The only caveat being.. N.A. would be behind in the tech.. but then again since GM and Ford are both global entities they could implement it in other countries to stay with the other makers in terms of advancement Can you imagine being the software engineer being asked to do the protocols for that? The legal ramifications would be an absolute nightmare. Orwellian, really. As a software engineer, the great good will always over way the individual. I have no problem programming the car to take the lesser of death. Hit many people or hit one. The one will always loose out. This is the same for society, the greater good has to take priority over the one.

Now if GM would only deliver their concepts and not something totally different but named close to it. I for one would love the Elmiraj as is!

I like that idea! Course then you have those that represent the wealthy section that would be way over paid.

Yup, he has failed and left many with being pushed into bankrupcy all at others expense in building his own personal wealth. He is a man that knows nothing of how to build and grow a profitable business. He is no different than the Idiot Hillary and all the other DemoBots and RepuliRATS that also know nothing of how to work within a budget. So far 2016 is looking to be a year to pick the least of all evils as we currently only have morons running for president. Isn't this the same every election for ANY politician..ever. ? They are all crooks and liars. Well it would help if we all stopped voting incumbents back into office. My state is incredibly guilty of that. Plus all Gov jobs should have term limits. House and Senate should be able to do no more than 12 years or what equals to 6 terms for house and 2 terms for senate or we change both to be 2yr jobs or 6yr jobs and reduce the waste of time for elections.