regfootball

http://www.autoblog.com/2014/07/22/subaru-class-action-lawsuit-excess-oil-use/

IMO it gives Toyota the chance to steer clear of an AWD Camry, yet it is sort of similar so they will get the buyer that wants an AWD Camry.....or simply just another version of the Camry. Plus they still after all these years pretty much have the AWD market cornered in this class. Especially the cheap side. It bugs me that GM can't seem to figure this segment out. Conversely the Impala which is now in a dead segment, sells like hotcakes.

my parents live a town that is a decent easy part drive from Canada and its a large enough town where the Canucks come down and shop the malls etc. very often. When i went to visit them recently, i went to the mall and i saw two Manitoba Trax within a few minutes. Cute lil thing! I can bet you the Trax will do well. I saw an Orlando too that day and be glad that Chevy did not bring that turd down to the US....... I think sedans would do better if they made them more spacious! For example two cars I tested out this weekend, A passat and Legacy, both have good passenger space but not real good trunk space. I could see bypassing them for a CUV for family use. One car that gets ripped is the Taurus, but to me it's a great family car. Spacious inside even if they say the leg room isn't the best, an adult can still sit back there. Big thing is the 20 cubic foot trunk is in fact a genuine legitimate competitor for a CUV trunk as it is tall deep and wide. You can pack a second level of bags and such and you could probably even get a bike back there. trunk sizes are still pretty small even on many of the larger sedans.

I still have to write up on to but I did drive a manual passat S TSI yesterday. Nice gas turbo mill. And the DIC shows some ridiculous FE numbers when you are cruising around. I would bet 35-40 mpg with this car is no problem at all. Got some pretty ridiculous lease quotes too. Now is the time to get one of these if you like it.

TESTED: 2015 Subaru Legacy AWD 2.5i Premium MSRP 25,045 HIGHS -a natural and successful evolution of the.....successful previous generation. If you liked the last one, you will like this one -significant powertrain enhancements with the CVT, power delivery, fuel economy, and general drivability. -impressive CVT functioning. It really is ok to own a car with a CVT now! Simulated stepped automatic works well, and overall a lot of folks may not be able to tell the difference from a traditional automatic. -interior, which looks dreadful and cheap in pictures, is actually fairly decent and a bit of an upgrade over the previous model -evolved styling is a bit sleeker than before. -interior space, front and rear is still excellent and likely class leading. Spread those legs out! -more airy cabin than so many of the bunker cabins of its competition. -big side mirrors, hey, it really is nice sometimes! -nice gauges and center stack. -nice steering wheel with lots of buttons. -PADDLE SHIFTERS! -seat cloth is actually quite nice. Seats themselves not all too bad either, overall. -really is a good value for the money in most packages. -has some instances that make it feel nicer than some competitors, some touch points are soft, padded armrest on the doors, quiet sounds when closing doors, fairly quiet ride and drive. -very decent middle of the road driving experience, quiet and comfortable ride, somewhat easy steering, but not a limp flopper. Not a sport sedan but doesn't pretend to be, either. -doesn't 'clomp' over bumps. wow, that is refreshing in this class where the competition is striving to strip out suspension compliance and sound deadening. -Is Subaru becoming a step up brand of its parent, Toyota? Like Buick is to GM? (although the Subarus are not as nice as the Buicks). -Subaru keeps improving the product, and it reflects in its sales. This is a pretty decent comfortable and functional car for a lot of the masses. LOWS -Boxer motor is improved, but still a bit rough and growly at times. The personality of the car would improve with a zingier motor setup. -Thrust off the line and into the midrange is a bit laggard. Part of that might be the minor delay in the CVT response. -Plain straight horizontal dash does its best to remind you of its Toyota brethren with its amazing imaginative design and layout. -Styling really should have evolved more over previous model. -Styling actually is it bit too much of a knockoff of the previous model plus a Taurus, certain Volvos and some Camry. -Front end styling in particular is chunky, blocky, heavy, botched. This is apparent even more in person. Way too much overhang, grille is too far forward and upright (like the new Sonata also) and looks out of whack with the rest of the car. They should have brought the base of the windshield forward some and given it some more rake to minimize the front end some more -Trunk still not very tall or otherwise not very huge either -Front end feels heavy and just a general comment on all wheel drive, you can tell it saps more juice and overall makes the car feel less nimble than some fwd counterparts. Whole car feels a bit unbalanced. Some may think that the nose heavy feel, heft, and weighty feel would make it seem more 'solid' though. -If you found someone who bought a 14 and swapped it out in their garage with a 15 without them knowing, they probably would have no idea its a different car any time....... -Really never crosses much over into appealing to your heart instead of just your head, despite being comfortable, practical, and otherwise quite likable. -JANET RENO still will always dress the same and look the same perhaps....... SUMMARY It's kind of hard for me to rip on much about this car. Subaru has done an amazing job of increasing sales by a lot these last few years, while still keeping its core fans and adding new ones. The cars have shunned their niches like the older smaller Legacies were in, and moved to the mainstream some but still appeal to their old base. A lot of that dual success is due to the all wheel drive exclusivity. But the other side of that is just building friendly, useful, value laden cars. And they have maintained a unique personality doing it, even despite being under the wing of Toyota. If this is a lesson for anyone, its a lesson for the GM's of the world. GM sometimes tries to keep re-inventing the wheel. Witness the Malibu and all its incarnations since the late 90's. You could never really know the message of the car and the message of GM's largest brand's most core product. Subaru just continues to evolve what is successful for them and gradually win new sales by being consistent and having a clear message. The car is good enough to give value for what was spent, and a bit of comfort beyond that. This would be a nice commuter car for a lot of folks I think. I think older folks may like this car too. That doesn't mean a fair amount of young folks won't like it either. As far as the midsize class goes, I think its not as good as a Fusion. Its not as sporty or engaging as a Mazda6. Personally I might lean to a Malibu before the Legacy except that the Legacy interior is larger and the cloth is better. And overall dash design maybe a little more tasteful. I would take a Legacy over the Altima, and over the Accord as well (some may not). It's better than the 2015 Sonata I drove last week. I have no idea yet what the new Chrysler 200 is like. Certain trim Passats I would take over this car as well, but for different reasons. This car is still not near as good yet as say, a Buick Regal. Props to Subaru for finding what it can do well, and now sticking to it. If the car had a bit more throttle response and thrust I would give it an A-. I'll give it a B+ and tell subaru to work on a creamy smaller displacement turbo with nice torque numbers, and working some more on vehicle dynamics as well. past review link for older Subaru Legacy http://www.cheersandgears.com/topic/54210-2010-subaru-legacy-and-outback-and-2010-ford-fusion-twin-test-drive-updated-includes-new-legacy-and-subaru-outback-test-drives/?hl=legacy

So, was it?????

nice impression. My review is in the reader review in the forums. This car did nothing for me. Its mid to bottom of pack. I'd tell anyone to skip over this turd. I didn't drive the turbo though. This weekend I am going to try to get into a 15 Legacy, they are on the lots now. If i wanted a Hyundai I would skip to the Azera, which Hyundai is considering killing in the US market. If i were them, i would push the snot out of them now, but incentivize them heavily.

I would like a TT 3.6 corvette

the lux market is driven by badge seekers nowadays. Long time ago when Cadillac was about plush, it was the older crowd who earned $$$ over time that bought a lot of them, and the big soft riding cars were what folks wanted. Non lux cars had a hard time getting quiet and comfy ride, and bigger was better. the demographics change over time and people in their older years won't have as much cash (although the few that do, have a lot). And like my dad says, "I've given GM money for over 50 years, I'm not going to give them 50 grand more on a new Cadillac". So I think some of the older crowd is tired of throwing money at cars (disclaimer, my dad seldom bought new or expensive but I think his sentiment is shared by many his age). I think the younger generations see cars as fashion more than anything these days. BMWs and such are the equivalent of Hollister or something. And German marques despite being perhaps the best drivers, their success is more fashion and badge snobbery than anything. Lots of 20 somethings buying Audis. (including a coworker recently). That's why we get Mercedes CLA's. I really believe Audi's big lure is the stale design which is viewed as contemporary....and their typically well done interiors (tiny gaps, amazing plastics, etc.) There is a group of the younger set that definitely appreciates the driving dynamics and such, but I bet the percent is quite small. This group I think, pretends they don't need a big car because they either don't have kids or big families yet, or they finally got a new car after 5 years of driving a small cracker box college car, they just don't feel the need to spread out much yet. They have not had a car with room so they don't know how nice it can be. Or, they live in a tight setting and don't have a lot of room to park a car. So a lux marque small tiny car like an A3 makes perfect sense. Then there is the middle generations like mine where a lot of folks grew up on Japanese cars because as one coworker put recently (without any factual data) 'they are just better' and people get sick of the Japanese bland stuff but still want something non American, so they move up to a Japanese lux make or a German marque. These folks maybe had an Accord when younger, which only recently became a large car. So a huge older Caddy would seem oversized. There is also the movement of today's buyers where if they want a large do it all vehicle, they get a crossover. the midsize sedan segment seems to be large enough for a lot of buyers today. Even the lux marques sell so many more crossovers now, the need for huge sedans is seemingly small. And with the EPA and govt out to eradicate bigger cars anyways.... But there are still folks like my dad who has his DTS and looks at an XTS and says it doesn't look as roomy. He's always thought the CTS was too small. He thinks the ATS is a toy car. I think a lot of the ATS low sales is due to simply 'small interior, small trunk'.....Cadillac despite the chassis magic really screwed the pooch on the usable size of the ATS. I remember riding in the 2 previous gen 3 series back seats and thinking they weren't so tight, I sold a C class once (prob at late 2000's one) that i recall having tons of room in the back. A ten cubic foot trunk and no back seat is a hindrance to sales to even people who would not get too often get worked up about space otherwise. The 20/21 year old i had to try to sell a 135i to one time (the real $$$$ was his mom) was a part time assistant manager at either Aeropostale or Hollister and was such a little pricktard. A complete badge seeker. No doubt the 135 was a nice driving car, and the vehicle dynamics interested him, but really it was just about status for him. I don't see Cadillac cracking this group of assholes for at least 10 years, even if they wanted to. The original CTS to this day you see the drivers that drive them are younger and not the old stereotype Caddy owners. And they are diverse. I think you build off a few of those types, you really try to cultivate Cadillac as a brand that appeals to a diverse crowd, and try to stay away from the fashion seekers.

you're spot on. They also had a new Genesis on the lot, i looked it over a bit. It looks nice, but it still looks faux to me and no wow. It's like audio equipment or TV's, you could get a sony, samsung, or a marantz, or onkyo. Or you can get 'seiki' or 'coby'. Hyundai is like Coby to me.

http://www.autoblog.com/2014/07/14/2015-hyundai-sonata-recall-wiring-harness/ 2015-hyundai-sonata-recall-wiring-harness

i expect this to be huge. Audi wannabees will flock to this. those that don't want a US model and want the snobbery of Europe vs Japan for less money will eat this up. Anyone seen the new Euro Passat (km77.com has nice pics) who thinks the Euro Passat is a lot nicer than our US one? I don't think its that much better actually.

Now that I think about it. I had the car in standard drive the whole time. Maybe I needed to have it in sport mode to see if it really helped acceleration.

TESTED 2015 Hyundai Sonata SE sedan 2.4 automatic, with popular equipment package MSRP $23,315 HIGHS- Remade shape is less fishy, if less flashy Lots of features, warranty, and space for the dough / great value Remade interior is not as cheesy as the pictures might suggest Assembly quality and fitment and gaps of things like the dash are impressive Another legitimate alternative to cars like the Camry and Altima Pleasant personality Easy to drive and good visibility out of Nice gauges and readouts Eco and Sport mode nice options for driving economically or aggressively Slightly increased fuel economy Should allow Hyundai to maintain its market presence Well, probably better than a Camry. Technically, I wouldn't call it a 'bad car' LOWS- Remade shape is in fact, less flashy and a bit clumsy To me, the interior dash design reminds me a bit of my 89 Taurus SHO dash (evoking 89 design is not a complement) Revised powertrain not impressively powerful in any rpm range. Really have to gas it to get some oomph. Neither a sensation of torquey or revvy. Powertrain NVH is not great compared to the competition. Engine vibration particularly apparent at idle at stoplight. Always an engine buzz somewhere. Lumpy / inconsistent padding in seats Interior materials / plastic look ok when new in the showroom but really are a bit below par for the class. Road noise is not isolated as well as others Ride and suspension quality not as good as others. Feels dated, honestly. Braking and steering quality not as good as others. Not good for road feel or steering feel. Definitely not sporty in any way, and really, not cushy or luxurious either A very very faint suspicion that overall quality of the car is just not up to par, and that any beauty is skin deep In the end analysis, Hyundai / Sonata in my mind is still 'faux'. Bluntly put, a bit 'UNREFINED'. Ocassionally feels crude and primitive. SUMMARY While still possessing the qualities to holds it own the showroom, I don't believe this car will be anything but midpack or lower in the midsize class. Car and Driver's paid trio of puff pieces this month stop short of being overly positive, and its probably all there because of payola. Really Car and Driver should have told the truth that these cars are warmed over versions of the 2011-2014 that sold on price and looks. There really is not a substantial improvement in refinement to the vehicle that the Car and Driver article suggests. And that is amazing that Car and Driver would be puffy like that. Still, from the standpoint of consumer getting so much in return for what they pay, this car holds it own. I'll give the car a "C" for now due to its value, kit, and warranty for the money and if I get a chance to drive the sport or eco 1.6 and if it changes my mind, maybe I will move it up. As it stands, the only cars in the segment that based upon my drives that I think this is actually better than is the Camry, and i am not even sure on that. This must mean that the optima is not great either (i have never driven one). This car to me is still bested a bit by the Accord and maybe even the Altima (and it wasn't going to take much IMO for any new car to beat those two overheralded piles). The Fusion, Passat, 6, are way far ahead of this. I bet the new 200 is way better than this too. The number of cars I could recommend before this are numerous. I can't say it's a bad car really, but with such strong competition, I can't say its one of the better ones either. Unless you like the styling or are drawn to the stuff for the price, or both, you can find better.

http://www.cheersandgears.com/topic/57966-2011-hyundai-sonata-gls-se-and-2010-hyundai-tucson-gls/?hl=sonata never did finish those

Far. Will try to write this up soon when I get home.

"Don't buy the hype"

-coming up-

a young sub 30 coworker just bought an off lease (personal relation) A4. Seems even otherwise would have likely got an Audi anyways. Audi has some magical appeal to certain groups. VW's downward path may have the effect of pumping up Audi as much as anything sometimes i think.

someone with knowledge of what makes Audi tick i think will be helpful. I hope Cadillac doesn't get de-Americanized though.

One thing I will edit from above. The LT1 manual which I also drove today, definitely feels snappier off the line than the diesel automatic. Maybe the diesel is not the fastest. I will need to go back through car and driver's test data. Lease number for the diesel was way much more than the LT1 . Hundred bucks more basically. Has anyone driven the Eo manual and LT1 manual side by side enough to tell a major diff in acceleration?? I know the LT1 revs rpms a fair amount more on the highway.

Test drove one again today. No different impressions. Too bad the price is so high.

Would not buy one -edit-

Our company vehicle is a dodge journey which I have put probably 4 or 5 thousand miles on myself. There have been times I pulled 28 mpg with it and the pentastar is great. First and second row room is not much different from this pair. It drives alright and is much cheaper than the Durango. I'd recommend to anyone looking at this pair to look at the Journey too. I still would buy one because it's a Chrysler but I would recommend it to others. I would also recommend the minvans because they are good and a great value. I have nothing I like about the Durango. It makes no sense to me.

Smk you're about right. But any basic brand like Chevy will depend on the promotions. Caddy's deal is it can't support German pricing. Gm fans don't throw money at cars like German fans do. They may never. ATS is a problem. The small size hurts but that could also be opportunity. They need to pare down on the higher price ATS and build more of the entry to low price ATS. They need to refocus the car with more of a sporting and youthful focus. They need to get a new sportier dash in it and offer a stick with the AWD. They need performance versions yesterday.