Robert Hall

Saw a Range Rover Velar at the grocery this afternoon. Black, coated in salt spray. Pretty slick..neat taillights and door handles.

And now for something completely different, and also random: I saw a Range Rover Velar at the grocery earlier today. First I've seen on the road.

You seem to have a strange over the top emotional tone in your posts in the thread regarding said engine. Probably need to calm down and take some anti-anxiety medication....this is something that can be discussed rationally without the ALL CAPS melodrama.

'best' is such a subjective thing... can't really be determined in an objective manner. Some have sold a lot. Some have a reputation for reliability. Some have race-proven reputations. Some are cheaper than others. A lot comes down to personal preference. I have a fondness for the classic Ford small block, esp. the '80s 5.0, from personal experience. I also want to experience the modern Mopar Hemi and modern Ford Coyote 5.0 sooner or later. There are lots of interesting cars of today and the past with a variety of V8s...getting hung up on trying say one is the 'best' is just typical internet blathering..that is ultimately a pointless exercise in futility. Live and let live, enjoy what you like, and move on...

My sister has been happy over all w/ the 1.4 Trax...had it a little over 2 years, over 10k miles now. Though I think she wants something bigger now with commuting back and forth to Columbus every week. I've driven it around town some and on a couple trips to the mountains in AZ, it's fine for a subcompact.

To be fair, there is probably a 10k difference in price between a rental spec Malibu and a V8 Charger..and is the Charger still available in V8/AWD spec? I don't think so (reg can't drive RWD).

Maybe it's the start-stop feature that increases the perception of lag?

The thing is, it's probably faster at 0-60 than 90% of the non-SS mid size Chevys built over the last 53 years. Compare it to a 60s 6 cyl Malibu. A 78 Malibu with a 305. An 80s Celebrity. A 90s Lumina. Etc. So for an average car, it's above average. Though 0-60 is just one simplistic measure of performance.

^agreed. I call BS on the 'being forced and shoved down our throats' line. You made the conscious decision to get a midsize with a 1.5 4cyl. There are plenty of vehicles on the market with larger engines. Do your research beforehand next time and don't whine about your choice afterward.

News flash---it's not 1960. There are lots of regulations world wide that automakers have to work with.

I had one as a rental earlier this year..it was fine in all conditions--freeway, big city, small town, country road driving. You have to look at it for what it is...seems perfectly adequate for a basic midsize family sedan. Compared to the other mid sizers I've rented over the last couple years (previous Malibu, Altima, Passat, Sonata, Fusion, Camry) it didn't seem noticeably worse to drive than any them.

The reason customizers use SBCs is they are cheap and lots of parts are available and lots of people know how to work on them.

Remember these are mid size transportation appliances...just a means from point a to point b..they aren't supposed to be fun or performance cars, just reliable, efficient transportation...0-60 doesn't matter in this class.

I think that is a North America thing..the current gen of Golf has 1.0, 1.2, 1.4, and 1.6 petrol engines in other markets.

Had a globe also...and a couple hardbound World Atlases that I'd study as a kid. I print out directions also when going to an unfamiliar area. The last 6 months have been a lot of fun, the sense of being in a new place to explore but one that is also vaguely familiar (I lived in NE Ohio from '88-94 when in college and grad school, but my travels through the region were limited then).

...and Google Street View and sometimes Google Earth. I like to scope out locations before I visit them. I'm a map geek, been a fan since I was a kid. Devouring Rand McNally road atlases, Thomas guides, D&K, Fodor and Frommes guides...

Actually, it's quite accurate for the most part as far as automotive info..I use it for all sorts of factual data..like what year was a particular town settled, who won the NFC East in 1988, what is the estimated population of a city, etc. Schools don't like Wikipedia as it keeps people out of their libraries. I've seen some things clearly inaccurate on Wikipedia, but for ordinary daily use I think it's fine. Google + Wikipedia on my phone answers a lot of general daily questions that come up in life, IMO.. For car data, if I'm interested in lots of arcane info on older models, I might dig through my Collectible Automobile or Hemmings Classic Car magazines, but for basic facts and figures Wikipedia seems fine---like what engines were in the 3rd generation Corolla, what is the wheelbase of the 1st gen Equinox, or what was the first year of the Escalade. I have found glaring errors on occasionally, but not often. Some cars the facts are pretty thin on but some have lots of details... I don't use Wikipedia as my only source, of course, I use it conjunction with other sources on the internet...like if I'm traveling somewhere, I read up on the location in Wikipedia if I haven't been there, check Yelp for restaurant and other business reviews, study Google Maps to understand the layout of the freeways and streets, etc..

It's mentioned in my go-to reference location--Wikipedia...I rarely look at the manufacturer's sites, that's just marketing fluff for consumers.. And car magazine reviews always mention whether something is FWD/RWD/AWD, so I remember detail from reading reviews in C&D, R&T and Automobile..after 40 years, I still enjoy reading the new car mags every month (digitally now) even though I'm not in the market.

I guess it's a legacy of the old GM structure...GMDAT was doing subcompacts and compacts in S. Korea, Opel was doing compact and midsize cars in Germany, lots of stuff going on in Detroit... for commodity 4 cyl generics, they need a single engine family with a variety of displacements, not multiple unrelated families..one GM like Ford's 'one Ford' idea...'old' GM seemed to always have way too much redundancy, too many different 4s and V6 families..

If they have P-AWS and SH-AWD and other acronyms they will need a smaller font to fit the badging all on the hatch ;)..is VTEC still a thing or do they have some other valve train acronym now?

Yes, just a commodity appliance with premium aspirations...nothing of significance...

i thought it was well known that the CLA and GLA were just a FWD A-class variations..been out for a few years now...

As far as a Cruze SS, the compact appliance sedan niche is declining, and the performance end of it down to just a couple Civic variations and the performance Focus and GTI. GM would have to invest a lot to be competitive in a declining niche. Maybe if they had come out with a Cruze SS a couple years ago, but it seems like it is too late now..

Sounds like poor engineering if they can't fit the 2.0/2.5 in the Cruze. And why have two different engine families for 4cyls? Again, poor choices. Should have a single 4 cyl architecture in different displacements like other automakers do. GM sometimes makes inexplicable decisions.

Fascinating how the Lake Effect snow bands and patterns lead to light dustings in some areas and big snows in other areas, often very close together. Had only 2-3 inches or so here in the south west Cleveland suburbs, just cold today. Up the coast to the east--maybe 25-30 miles away--they've had 8-10 inches so far with another foot coming...and 2 hours up the coast in Erie, Pa they had 53 inches in 2 days!