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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    I don't like the front end, they took some Audi, some BMW and Infiniti Q50 and mashed them up again. It looks a bit like a Kia also. The inside looks great, but I am just not digging the exterior. What I don't get is how the Elantra and Sonata are I think among the best looking cars in their class, and Hyundai has some good styling cues on other cars, then the Genesis doesn't use them. If they are going to use that massive grille, they should put some mean looking headlights on it. At least they still have V8 and RWD, when most have given up on that. Optional all wheel drive will be a big plus in the snow belt states, but I don't think you really need it. I drove my rear wheel drive car with summer only tires in the snow this morning, which was a big struggle, but I have snow tires on it now and it is fine. AWD = over rated.
  2. smk4565
    In electric mode it is Corolla slow, and in gas mode it is thirstier and slower than a diesel powered A6, 5-series or E-class. Not seeing how this car costs more than a Jaguar F-type.
  3. smk4565
    It is just epic looking. One of the best looking cars at any price and I like the coipe more than the convertible.
  4. smk4565
    The K900 if it is priced like an Equus I think has a really hard time on price point. I agree with ONC. The Genesis being priced from the low $30s is against the Avalon, Lacrosse, etc and if you want RWD V8 and full size there is the Genesis and 300/Charger and that is it unless you spend $70,000 or more. So I can see where a Genesis or $40k rear drive Kia would work because the traditional big American car buyer has no where else to go, the Grand Marquis is dead. Bit at a $60,000+ level no one is looking at Kia.
  5. smk4565
    Sounds like a $60,000 Audi Q5. At least it has 400 HP, that makes it a Porsche in the performance area. I think they should make a rear engine crossover based on the 911.
  6. smk4565
    It isn't as ugly as most Lincolns but at the end of the day it is still a Ford Escape. If MKS is a sedan and MKX is a crossover you would think MKC must be a coupe, but not in Lincoln world. The 2.3 liter eco boost will be in the Mustang, I could see them dumping all the naturally aspirated V6's across the Ford line up for that that engine.
  7. smk4565
    I think it looks good, better than the Silverado. The engine choices are good too, that diesel should put the Colorado over 30 mpg and give V8 like torque.
  8. smk4565
    Exactly. Unless they mean the Volvo S80 if that still has a V8. Because the V8s in an E550, 550i or Jaguar XF would smash this thing. And you can get 38 mpg from a 5-series or A6 and 45 mpg from an E-class so they didn't win their either. These Japanese companies bet on hybrids and they aren't really the answer.
  9. smk4565
    The combination of a V8 and rear wheel drive is a good thing. However, do they really expect to sell them with that name?
  10. smk4565
    Those should replace the current line of 4-cylinder engines. You wonder if the V6 Accord will go away and they will hold the V6 for SUVs, vans, and Acura.
  11. smk4565
    I think the V8 will be here a while due to cost not being too high and the history of the Vette. The 3.6TT doesn't give enough fuel economy gain. If anything, I could see them doing a 300 hp turbo 4-cylinder because of CAFE and if they want a low base price Corvette to get sales. And it isn't so far fetched, there is going to be a 4-cylinder Mustang, there is a 4-cylinder 5-series, CTS and Impala, and about 5-10 years ago you wouldn't have thought any of those cars would have a 4-banger.
  12. smk4565
    It sure is fast around the Nurburgring, they are nearing the 7 minute mark!
  13. smk4565
    Right, and a V6 at best is going to get 30 mpg, a lot of turbo 4's can get closer to 35, and probably with a flatter torque curve. And who wants to a 270 hp Dodge Dart anyway, lol.
  14. smk4565
    Yes, I think on a coupe or sports car the badge on the grille makes sense, but on a luxury sedan it looks more prestigious and makes the car stand out more with the raised hood ornament. I love the stand up hood ornament on my car, I didn't think I'd like it as much as I do.
  15. smk4565
    Imagine the torque steer on a 270 hp Dart also, unless it was AWD, in which case the gas mileage will suck. ... it would be the same as any other 270 hp front driver.... not sure what the fact that it is a Dart has anything to do with it. Well most 270 hp front drivers are bigger cars that weigh about 3700 lbs, so the acceleration isn't as quick as it would be with 270 hp in a 3100 lb compact car. I'd imagine a 300 hp Cruze would have more torque steer feel than a 300 hp Impala. Baring massive changes to the steering and suspension from the standard Cruze.
  16. smk4565
    Agreed, the CTS grille doesn't look that expensive, and the badge is in a weird spot. But I am not a fan of the headlight treatment either, the front of the car just doesn't present as being as expensive as it is. The 3.6 V6 easily runs over $60,000 and a V-sport Premium is $70,000. The CTS I think suffers from a problem the STS had, it doesn't look expensive or special enough. A good thing about the CTS is that Magnetic ride control is available with every engine. The the E-class Airmatic is only available with the V8. Mercedes should make Airmatic available with every engine, and rumor is it will be available on the new C-class, so maybe that day is coming. On a styling note, one thing I don't like that Mercedes is doing is putting the 3-point star on the grill more and more, you can still get any sedan with the Mercedes logo standing on the hood, but it is less common now. I wonder if Cadillac would consider 2 front end designs for the CTS, XTS and whatever the big car is. It seems like a full size Cadillac sedan should have the wreath and crest standing on the hood. The S-class and Rolls-Royce are sort of the last hold outs to standing hood ornaments.
  17. smk4565
    I think none of them are great looking, but each have good aspects to them. If you put the XTS grille on the ATS, that would be their best looking car. The ATS in front is a bit boring, the CTS and XTS are too boring from behind, but the CTS probably has the best proportions.
  18. smk4565

    BMW Can Kiss My Ass

    smk4565 replied to avant1963's topic in BMW

    The problem with BMW's 4-door coupes is they don't look like coupes. At least a Mercedes CLS looks different from an E-class sedan or coupe. The Gran Turismo hatch things look dumb also, I think BMW is looking for niche vehicles to get sales because they can't keep up with Mercedes. The C-class is closing in on the 3-series in sales, and Mercedes has a lockdown on the E-class and S-class segments.
  19. smk4565
    I'd agree. The 2.4 liter in the Dart is already bigger than most compacts. 1.8-2.0 liter is common in this segment. Even the majority of the midsize segment is 4 cylinder, with CAFE toughing and Chrysler being weak there already a V6 Dart doesn't make sense. Imagine the torque steer on a 270 hp Dart also, unless it was AWD, in which case the gas mileage will suck.
  20. smk4565
    Cadillac needs 4 and 6 cylinder diesel power mated to an 8-speed transmission in a bad way. A turbo 4 diesel would easily out torque the 2.0T or 3.6 V6 in the ATS and CTS and probably give back 45 mpg and still get you 0-60 in 7 seconds which is adequate for most of the driving world.
  21. smk4565
    They might, Sprinter is from the Mercedes-Benz Vans division, so they could bring others from that group here, but I sort of doubt it. I think Mercedes feels that they can engineer the best product for any segment. Daimler builds the best trucks and buses, Mercedes is one of the standards of the auto industry, I am sure they can build a better van than the Transit or NV200, but just because they can doesn't mean they should. These vans could have diesel power though, instant win over vans sold in the USA right now.
  22. smk4565
    They both face the same problem in Europe. They don't have the distribution channels or the popularity or trust of consumers there. Europeans for the most part like European cars. Plus they like diesel and the top 2 selling Lexus in Europe I think are the CT200h and RX400h; their hybrids get a little bit of traction because of the gas mileage. Cadillac doesn't have 40-50 mpg cars, so that is another disadvantage. Cadillac does have a good chance in China, although Buick is the GM band winning there, so they have to get Buick people to trade up to Cadillac. All 3 Germans do well in China too though, and Audi is the strongest of the 3 and Mercedes the weakest, sort of the opposite of the American market.
  23. smk4565
    So is Cadillac's path to global success to sell 1,500 CTS per month and 2,500 ATS in the USA, and even less outside the USA? Lexus has had over 10 years of the IS and GS, and over 20 years of the LS, and they still are basically America only and the IS And GS are slow sellers. The Lexus brand survived on the backs of the ES350 and RX350. Cadillac needs the ATS and CTS to sell because they don't have a version of the Malibu to sell, although they do have a version of the Impala and Equinox to prop them up.
  24. smk4565
    This sounds more like they want a luxury minivan in the USA, and they may be successful with this, but the R-class bombed, so I sort of doubt it. But if a Toyota or Honda minivan can cost $40,000, maybe Mercedes can get people to pay $50,000 for a minivan. I don't see the Vito coming here, that is a small commercial vehicle for Europe.
  25. smk4565
    If BMW can fit a straight six in a 180 inch long 3-series, then it should fit in a 195 inch long CTS. But I can't see GM making a straight six because it would have no use for Chevy or Buick and they aren't really in the habit of making Cadillac exclusive engines anymore, unfortunately.
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