Cory Wolfe

Any driver of any jacked up truck ever.

Very good looking car. I can't wait to see this wearing Buick badges. I want that wagon in the spy shots.

Thanks, y'all. I feel like it was just yesterday that I was being berated by the elder forum masters for my young foolishness.

I think the problem with the CT6 is its lack of commitment to any one segment. It's not quite a flagship, not quite an executive in size, price, and features. It's almost like the original CTS in that its size is more similar to the class above its pricing. This has its advantages and disadvantages, as such. As far as CUE, obviously the more you use it and become accustomed to it, it's not going to be an issue for you. I, personally, can't speak on any of the newly released models with the supposedly updated software, myself. I've only had experience with 2016 and prior systems. Those, however, were truly awful. There is no way around that. Were they unusable? No, of course, not. If you bought the car, you'd likely get used to it just as many have gotten used to MFT over the years. That doesn't make it better than competitors systems. If you want to truly judge the system, don't do so without spending equal time with Mercedes', BMW's, Audi's, and especially Volvo's infotainment systems. Take away the bias, and you'll probably find they are much more sorted and intuitive systems. Lexus, Infiniti, and Acura, on the other hand are just as irritating as CUE, if not more so. With that said, I hope that CUE has been sorted out well enough with the most recent updates. Again, I haven't had a chance to use the system in a CT6 or XT5 yet so it could very well be. I've seen a few reviews that noted various improvements, so there is hope to be had.

Here's another comparison with a similar verdict: Autoguide: Genesis G90 vs. Cadillac CT6

Cadillac design is starting to get stale, in my opinion. The switch to the wreath-less crest brought with it new grills that do nothing to help this problem. The ATS, from the head-on, looks absolutely dopey. The rest of the line-up doesn't suffer from that issue, but as a whole, they're rather staid. The V-cars manage to still stir the soul to some degree, but the overall design hasn't really been fresh. With Cadillac's Escala concept, I think they acknowledge that there is a need to at least tweak the design moving forward.

It's nice they're finally trying, but the Sentra is just an awful car to start with. There's maybe one car it outclasses and that is the Corolla. Even then, it's a pretty close race to decide which is more garbage than the other.

I'm slightly underwhelmed. It's restrained, sure, but I was hoping there would be more of a gap between regular trims, the Si and the Type-R. This seems to be more Civic Sport hatchback plus, but applied to the coupe. I would have wished for a more stepped approach. It does, however, fall in line with Honda's tradition of Si trims, none of which have been differentiated much from lower trims. Eh, considering the competition, the Civic is far from bland or dull. Cruze, Focus, Elantra, Forte, Corolla, Impreza, Sentra, Jetta, and Golf are all much more mainstream and looking. The only car with more emotion in the design is the Mazda3. And I'm pretty sure they're making bank. Just saying...

Regarding price, my biggest question would be how much the shocks alone add to the sticker. They are of the same variety of those found on the Z/28 and that car commanded a pretty penny. Granted, there was a lot more to go into it than just shocks, but I have to wonder.

Cosmetically, it's okay. Mechanically, it's okay. Overall, it's okay. It's... easily produceable. Give it a bit more power, AWD, and a manual transmission and then we'll talk.

So, I like the idea as it's a smart move all things considered. On the other hand, I can't help but think 90's Geo Metro when I look at the rear. I understand the need for plastic bits to make a pseudo-crossover look more convincing, but making the entire rear bumper unpainted looks trashy. The front bumper is much better and looks like they actually tried.

Alright, I've been trying to get semi-professional photos, but I haven't really had the time. Fighting work and daylight, it's been nearly impossible. Combine that with the election changing some of my plans, I may not have a chance before winter hits. So, with that said, I might as well just spill the beans. This will seem backwards to everyone, but hey, why not? First, I'm parking the GTI for the winter to keep the miles off it. Originally, it was just that simple, but now the plan is to sell it come spring once its value stabilizes, if it does. It doesn't really seem logical for this car's value to drop in the winter, but it seems to. I've never understood it. It was great in the snow, it's not exactly a RWD roadster or anything. Second, speaking of a RWD roadster, I bought a Miata. Currently, it's sole duty is as a winter beater. Yes, I am crazy and yes, I am going to freeze my ass off. I also have my doubts about making it through the winter, but I've already committed to the plan so there's no going back now. I managed to make it through a Pennsylvania winter with an 80's Cutlass, so hopefully I can survive a Michigan winter in this. It's mostly flat here, so that gives me some hope. Hills were the only issue I ever really ran into with the Olds. Here's a cell phone picture: Wish me luck...

It is understandable considering the popular vote. The latest numbers have Clinton at 60,143,544, Trump at 59,830,187 nationwide. It is easy to see why that is being thought of as not fair. It's not—at all—and something Trump has acknowledged himself during the 2012 election. Imagine how it feels, knowing your vote (and 313,357 others) doesn't matter. With that said, despite the broken system, it is how we decide elections unless someone fixes it. Until then, we have to accept it no matter how much it hurts.

This is a repost from my Facebook. ---------------------------------------- What's truly concerning about this election is that, perhaps, some of Trump's rhetoric rings true. Notably the idea that Washington is broken. Here we are, 16 years after the Bush/Gore election, and we have a similar situation. Nationally, Clinton has thus far received more votes, but thanks to the way electoral votes are split up, she loses the election. A large part of this is thanks to the large population in California. Still, I can't help but think how Trump, and Bush, have won without the popular vote. If the electoral system more accurately reflected the population at large, we'd be singing to a different tune. Now, let me divulge a bit more into Trump. Despite my disappointment, I feel like there may be a bit of hope buried deep within the terror and it lies with Trump's lack of concrete stances. He has a history of saying one thing and doing an entirely different thing later on. You can see that with his slightly Democratic-leaning past. You can see that with his previous acclaim for the Clintons. You can, unfortunately, see that with his various statements he later denied. He has rarely stuck with an opinion or political stance. On one hand, this makes him largely unpredictable and that is perhaps the most horrifying aspect of a Trump Presidency. On the other, maybe this indicates flexibility towards a more bipartisan leadership. I mean, at this point, I can only hope for the sake of my life as I know it. Worryingly, with Pence along for the ride, this could also go very, very bad, as well. He is, without a doubt, the biggest threat to the lives of LGBT individuals. His policies in Indiana are some of the most divisive in this country. From his opposing of same-sex marriage, signing into law a bill to jail, yes JAIL, same-sex couples who even applied for a marriage certificate, and his support of horrific conversation therapy over HIV funding to his well documented support of religious freedom for businesses to deny service to our community. Without him, Trump may be completely tolerable as Commander in Chief. The big question, at this point, is how much of Pence is present in Trump and will that carry through to his Presidency? Only time will tell, but I am not confident it will be in our favor, despite the small glimmer of hope mentioned above. ---------------------------------------- What bothers me more than anything, though, is that my own family supported Trump. As I said in another post, it was a slap in the face to return home to visit family and see a Trump sign in the yard. Truly a disappointment. To say that Josh and I frightened over this situation, is an understatement. I will be looking to join the ranks of others in possibly getting a marriage license before the U.S. is dragged back into a homophobic cesspool.

Likely no one. Trade in one cheater for another. Though, in the C/D world, many simply don't want to part ways with their diesels and I don't blame them. After spending a few days in a Sportwagen TDi, I wonder why I didn't buy one of those instead of the GTI. Cheating software or not, it's a hell of vehicle. Also, in this part of the world, diesel fuel has been cheaper than premium on average. I still maintain that, despite the deceit and everything, this whole diesel-gate thing is overblown. I really wish that any publication that picks up yet another story about this whole saga would consider the real-world scale of this entire thing. The relatively few cars that VW sold with NOx limits beyond what is deemed acceptable for passenger vehicles, pales in comparison to what is acceptable for heavy-duty pickups and commercial vehicles, of which there are far many more of on the road. It's so far from an even playing field, it's ridiculous. Meanwhile, other corporations can get away relatively harm-free with product defects that actually kill. VW is just everyone's scapegoat.

Thanks, y'all. So, remember that vague plan I mentioned? Part 1 has officially occurred. Details will come in a few days.

Perhaps it will look better in person, but the reaction I can currently muster up is a big 'meh'. There isn't really anything to sway someone away from a Pilot, Highlander, etc. I am glad that they kept the VR6, yet disappointed they didn't advance it in any way possible. I know its days are probably numbered, but this could have been an opportunity to make it relevant again.

This is going to be a bit of a strange list. 1988: Honda CRX Si: 2004: Volkswagen Golf R32 by HPA 2009: Cadillac CTS-V Today: Tesla Model S P100D Bonus: Porsche Carrera GT

My biggest issue with these reliability ratings (not just CR, either, JD Power is just as bad) are the reliance on non-issues. A simply inconvenience such as a poorly designed infotainment system can tarnish an otherwise reliable vehicle. I really don't care how awful it is to use if it works. When I look to these studies, I'm looking for real issues. It's outrageous that a vehicle can have excellent marks in every category except audio and the like and be deemed less reliable overall than one with actual issues.

There is also the Civic. I agree, but I'd prefer Nissan to just axe the Sentra (and Versa) and just bring over the Pulsar and Micra.

Moar pics of his new ride can be seen here: Orange You Glad...

...it's that time again? Of course you are.

My work desktop. Gotta self-promote, you know.

I will say Ccap is going in the right direction, but you'd be surprised how many vehicles are actually available in orange.

My first isn't a very good example considering I only financed $4k as a personal loan. - $120/month. Currently with my GTI: - $309/month.