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smk4565

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Everything posted by smk4565

  1. smk4565
    Hit the nail on the head. Not really, he hit his thumb. SOHC and DOHC are not​ equivalent and if you bothered to read the rest of the thread, you'd see how. I did read the rest, SOHC is worse than DOHC but no one really makes them any more either. But either way, OHC is better than pushrod, the example of the Crown Vic is because the engine was left the same basically form the early 90s. Comparing a bad SOHC V8 to the best pushrod on the market isn't really making any sense. That is like comparing the GM 3900 V6 to the Nissan GT-R V6.
  2. smk4565
    Hyundai had no V8 5 years ago and had to build one from scratch. And they built DOHC, they spent a lot of money on that engine, it could have been anything they wanted and they went with DOHC. The only reason GM and Chrysler still use them is lack of funds to design the replacement. I understand the argument of GM should continue to use the pushrod rather than spend the money to make a DOHC V8 from scratch at a time when V8s are dying, maybe it isn't a good investment. But I don't buy that pushrods are better, why doesn't Lamborghini or Ferrari use a pushrod V12 or V8 then? How are Lexus, Audi, Mercedes, Aston Martin, McLaren, Jaguar, etc all wrong, and Chrysler/Dodge and Chevy are using the superior engine?
  3. smk4565
    Hit the nail on the head.
  4. smk4565
    I saw 2 yesterday, although they were both beige, could have been the same car that I saw twice. The only weird thing about it is the hood looks really low and the trunk looks really high. Seems off in proportion. The LED lights on the front look better than the CTS's though.
  5. smk4565
    I never experienced a Rolls V12, but that car has loads of sound deadening also. But the BMW inline six is better than their V8 in a lot of ways. The engine is just so smooth, balanced, it revs easily, never sounds harsh. And it is good in a luxury car or good in a sports car.
  6. smk4565
    All of you that think you don't need a DOHC V8 don't own one. Once you get used to having a DOHC V8 it is hard to go to anything else. The only thing I have driven that is better is the BMW straight six, that is the smoothest engine out there. Fuel economy concerns though will push the DOHC V8 crowd like myself to DOHC V6s, possibly with turbo or supercharger.
  7. smk4565
    At the way the market is moving away from V8s, there might not be much need for one anyway. The Corvette loyalists will buy it whatever the engine is, although Corvette sales are shrinking and the fan base getting older and older. Pick-ups will sell with anything due to so few brand options, and the V6 will become more common there anyway. And the Cadillac flagship will be DOA anyway, and that is the only car that really needs a DOHC V8. The CTS could use one since the E-class and 5-series have one, but they will sell the CTS at a discount to compensate for lack of a V8, much like Audi and Lexus do. And that is why the E and 5 combine to sell 9,000 a month and the A6 and GS sell 2,000, with a smaller profit margin to boot.
  8. smk4565
    If the Encore were a Verano based crossover with the 2.4 liter and the same price point, it might sell. But did Buick notice that this has a higher base price (though slightly lower loaded price) than a Volkswagen Tiguan? And did they notice that the Tiguan even in base form has the award winning VW/Audi 2.0T engine with 200 hp and 207 lb-ft @1700 rpm. 138 hp vs 200 hp, really? And I think the Tiguan has a better interior also.
  9. smk4565
    GM needs a 1.6T, that could get them up to 160 hp, rather than the 138 hp of the 1.4T. The 1.4T is okay for a base engine, but they need something else to offer. Especially with Hyundai having a 200 hp turbo 4, Civic has a 197 hp, Ford has the Ecoboost, etc. It is as if GM's small cars are only there for CAFE purposes so they can keep selling Silverados. Sort of what led them to trouble in the 90s.
  10. smk4565
    A Kia Soul even has 164 hp, I can't see people buying paying near $30k when optioned up for the Encore. It doesn't look very good because of how short and tall it is, interior looks like it is a dressed up Sonic, and a weak engine. The Encore and Verano do give Buick two sub $25k cars though to try to attract buyers to the brand, or people that in the past would have looked to Saturn or Mercury. The Verano I think is a good idea, the Encore I however I do not.
  11. smk4565
    It will still be a cheaper version of an A8, so how much cheaper and how well equipped is the question. Also with the A8 going with a V6 as the base engine, you know the Phaeton has to, and the Phaeton probably will not get a V8. Then you have to ask do people want to pay $60k for a V6 Volkswagen that looks like a Passat with LEDs, when they could otherwise buy an A6, spend more and get an A8, or get a V8 Equus etc.
  12. smk4565
    The Encalve and Acadia are hardly new, they are the same car with some slight cosmetic changes. It will be interesting what they do with the LaCrosse and Regal, if they just get a slight refresh like the Enclave or if they do more, such as move the LaCrosse up market a little, to say $35k base to make room for the Impala. GM needs a compact pickup that is fuel efficient and doesn't suck. That is a big void in their lineup right now, I am curious what they do with the Canyon to fix it.
  13. smk4565
    Verano is a better deal. If the Encore had some more motor I would say the price is worth it, but with some options you are looking at $30k for a 1.4 liter with 138 hp. If the Encore had more like 170 hp and make it not seem like you are getting a Chevy Sonic SUV with leather.
  14. smk4565
    Lame, if they are going to build a 94 mpg electric type car it should have RWD!
  15. smk4565
    It needs sophistication, but I think a strength of Cadillac styling is the angles. The Evoq concept for example was very well done, and I think the XLR had very good exterior styling, just the wrong interior and wrong price tag. I don't care much for the rounded off Cadillac style, the ATS seems too round, and that rounded off blandness killed the STS. The sophistication is more needed on the interior and under the hood though.
  16. smk4565

    Gen V Fodder

    smk4565 replied to hyperv6's topic in Powertrain

    I'd be surprised if they go 6.2 liters again. If they do, I can't see them sustaining it for very long with CAFE. Unless they keep the 6.2 liter V8 and don't offer it in many vehicles. GM still needs to find another 4-5 mpg for CAFE.
  17. smk4565
    Needs a real hybrid, the Fusion gets 47/47 mpg, makes the Malibu Eco look pretty sad. Not a fan of the back end styling, it costs too much for what you get, design of the interior is pretty good, but it could use some more in build quality. Haven't driven one to know how it feels, but the Malibu has nothing at all that wows me to make it even worth considering. The 2013 Fusion looks fantastic and gets 47 mpg, that is going to get people to the dealership to look at one.
  18. smk4565
    Yes it should be, unless they botch it. But I like that the car is being built with the purpose of being a world class luxury car in mind, rather than adding chrome and leather to an Impala or something.
  19. smk4565
    The Tesla Model S has far more practicality too and is in a way an intriguing prospect. But to get the good range and acceleration you need to option up to the really expensive model. I just don't see a big market for electric luxury cars, let alone luxury coupes. Usually people buy a coupe because it is a fast sports car, not because it is slow and can go 40 miles on electric. This is also the type of thing that keeps Mercedes and BMW on top, and the rest chasing. Cadillac, Lexus, Lincoln, Acura, whoever all default back to turning a Chevy/Toyota/Ford/Honda into a luxury car and it comes out half baked, because at the end of the day, that ES350 is still a Camry, the MKS still a Taurus, the ELR still a Volt, Escalade a Tahoe, etc. Mercedes and BMW are purpose built for the class on a clean slate, not modified from the parts bin.
  20. smk4565
    In this case I don't think I need to see the finished product, we've already seen the Volt. There is no way the ELR is going to be $20,000 better than an ATS.
  21. smk4565
    I agree, it is another compact slow Chevy turned Cadillac. The only difference is 2 door not 4 and the interior should be more of a step up than what the Cimarron had over the Cavalier. The ELR might have CTS-V price tag and Chevy Sonic performance. Perhaps the ELR is more Allante than Cimarron, a high price flop could be coming.
  22. smk4565
    Looks like the same front end as the Volt, but with vertical headlights rather than horizontal. My fear is it will have the same powertrain as the Volt, and we saw how Lexus bombed when putting the Prius powertrain into a CT200h or that HS250h thing (that was Camry hybrid system I think). And the Prius is a sales success, the Volt is not. Unless the ELR has a big performance or range improvement over the Volt I can't see people buying it. If they sell 20k Volts per year, how many $60k Cadillacs with the same performance and a less practical 2-door style will sell?
  23. smk4565
    Coupe and plug-ing hybrid are nice offerings. In this segment most have abandoned coupes, and I think only the Fusion is getting a plug-in hybrid. Honda looked pretty lifeless the past couple years, but I think they stepped it up with this new Accord. The masses will eat it up, just like they are buying the Camry in droves.
  24. smk4565
    Awesome fuel economy for a V6. This car looks a bit like the Hyundai Genesis from the back and the front has a bit of a VW vibe going on, but it still looks like a Honda. So even though it isn't very distinctive, it will probably be a strong seller because it will appeal to so many. Vanilla is the #1 seller after all.
  25. smk4565
    I'd take a Mercedes E350 Bluetec over this. The quicker automakers push diesel power over costly and heavy hybrid systems the better.
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