Drew Dowdell
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Posts posted by Drew Dowdell
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15 minutes ago, ccap41 said:
Is that any different than an Escalade without its fancy suspension? I can't imagine it rode super awesome without its fancy suspension either.
I freakin wish the G Wagen had that. Two stick axels rides like @ss.
Escalade minus the fancy suspension = my truck. And yeah, it’s fantastic for long distances. I’ve done 19 hours in it.
Now, handling is ass. I’ve looked into stiffer anti-roll bars. Take it into a corner hard and it leans hard. Magnaride can improve on that but only if GM calibrates it that way.
But chewing up 19 hours of interstate is what it’s built for and does well. The long wheelbase really helps too.
Tahoes and shorty Escalades aren’t as comfortable long haul for that reason. I have the same WB as the ESV.
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1 minute ago, ccap41 said:
The G Wagen isn't what competes with the Escalade, and you know that. The GLS is their large 3-row SUV. It isn't Escalade large but it's large.
The ride in the GLS depends on if it has AirMatic or not. With conventional coil springs, it’s just average. With Airmatic it is super cushy, but that’s more without drawbacks. Airmatic fails often and is expensive to replace. Also, back in that timeframe you couldn’t get airmatic + AWD because of the way the suspension was set up.
But David has magnaride, which is the holy grail of suspensions. Still expensive to replace but very reliable. I drove a Denali with it a few years ago and it feels like it tiptoes over bumps. It’s a shame GM is slowly phasing it out.
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11 minutes ago, ccap41 said:
I mean the one tested in that ling had chrome strips along the door, window, chrome mirrors, chrome "vents" and chrome roof rails. The rest is much more conventional and would be similar to a Yukon.
Aside from the vents (which were all the rage in that timeframe, even Saturn had them) and the roof rails. I have all of that on my truck.... now my truck was the top of the Avalanche line in 2013, but still.
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And thinking back a bit more, those early Navigators and ever generation after until the current one rode terribly. It was like riding in a beefed-up F-150 suspension. The Infiniti suspension was soft but annoyingly sloppy. Who wants to drive jello and not be able to maintain the lane center after a bump?
The second-gen Escalade dialed in the comfort a lot (I never drove a first gen). It was the first of the giant SUVs to have that Cadillac Fleetwood ride.
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5 minutes ago, ccap41 said:
In 2006, there was literally no other vehicle that came from the factory with more bling than an Escalade.
The Escalade brought forth the "blinging out" of other vehicles. It was THE original "bling" vehicle. If you turned on the TV and came across a flashy chromed out vehicle with big chrome wheels, it was an Escalade 90% of the time. The other 10% was a Hummer, be it a TV show, MTV videos, professional athletes' vehicles, etc.
In fact, this is a huuuuuge reason why the Escalade has been so successful. It got the attention of everyone everywhere. but that's because it was big and flashy.
Eh, a lot of that was people putting big aftermarket rims and big sound systems and lighting in them after the fact.
Sure, you could option them up with chrome 22s, but this is what most of them looked like from both generations.
19s at best, not chrome, basically the same as any Yukon.
11 minutes ago, ccap41 said:The next closest was the Navigator but it just wasn't a great overall vehicle. The Navigator was never cool, like an Escalade.
Maybe you're too young to remember it, but yeah, the Navigator was huge when it came out. Navigator is what took the luxury car sales crown from Cadillac for Lincoln. It was a massive hit that Lincoln let flounder. The Navigator came out in 1997 and a "real" Escalade didn't hit the market until 2001. Then Lincoln dithered and gave the Navigator the mildest of mild facelifts in 2003 before ruining the styling completely in 2007.
15 minutes ago, ccap41 said:Not saying they aren't comfortable but to say they're superior when professionals have said otherwise...is just silly.
I'm not a professional now?
Again, in a handling contest, it's going to go to the Europeans. But on long-distance highway travel, absent some ultra-fancy massaging seat options, comfort for the drivers in this class is pretty much equal amongst this class.
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1 hour ago, ccap41 said:
I have a very hard time believing a solid rear axel was a more comfortable vehicle than one with an independent rear suspension. The Navigator was far from a good overall package but to say the comfort was worse, seems a little...wrong...
"The interior feels cramped. The second-row captain's chairs are bolted in place, no sliding tracks, so there's no relief for the legroom shortage. The doors are narrow, making it hard to steer your Reeboks past the jamb for an exit. The seats, both front and second rows, are narrow, and the flaccid cushions lack the stuffing to hold you upright in even mild corners. Passenger comfort in the second and third rows earned the lowest marks.
Despite its flash, the Escalade doesn't stray far from its trucky ancestors. Interior space, and the usefulness of that space, is disappointing."
In vehicles this size, solid rear axle v. IRS means little in terms of comfort, and few can tune a solid rear axle for comfort better than the domestics. IRS is mostly about handling while spring rates and shock absorbers determine comfort. I don't know which suspension setup he has, but the air suspension setup in my Avalanche is very comfortable and I have no complaints there. He might have magnaride, so he would have a shock absorber advantage over me. Get his Escalade or my Avalanche out on the open highway and they will match any non-airmatic Benz on comfort. They'll get beat by the latest Lincolns Navigator and Aviator, but that's only because Lincoln tunes their spring rates to be like driving a pillow.
I doubt he ever rides in the 2nd or 3rd row of his Escalade, so his perspective is only that of the driver. I don't know if the author Aaron Kiley is suffering from atrophied back muscles or something, but exactly what corners is he throwing these vehicles into to require large and firm side bolstering? Driving in the same seats literally every day, I don't ever experience what he describes. My second row probably gets low marks too, but so do most truck second rows. Doesn't matter to me though, my second row gets folded more than sat in.
TL:DR, the Escalade and Avalanche from this generation are both very comfortable for the drivers.
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1 hour ago, ccap41 said:
That's quite the ironic statement right there. You prefer function over flare yet chose an Escalade, which is waaaay flashier and nearly the exact same vehicle as the Tahoe/Suburban/Yukons, with bling.
Escalade is "louder" than a Yukon, for sure, but I'd still put it at the quiet end of luxury unless it's the V. That said, so are the GLS and Q7. Nothing says "I'm a multi-millionaire but my wealth is tied up in assets I can't sell" like a beige GLS.
Loud luxury I'd consider things like the Levante, Urus, Maybach GLS.
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13 minutes ago, ccap41 said:
I agree. There's no argument from me there but I could see if I was in the financial status of being able to own something like this, I'd also have PLENTY of functional watches so this would just be something to not use as a real watch. Hell, If I had a Richard Mille, I'd probably never even set the time because it'd be useless hahaha.
They're weird because they are such a status symbol and I'm sure they're FANTASTICLY built watches, they're just useless at their one designed job, telling time. Such irony.
I'm one of those people that certain things wouldn't change that you'd expect to change if I won the $1b Powerball. Flare is not something I'd ever chase regardless of the size of my bank account. Yes, I'd buy a bunch of cars, but for every one Lucid Air Sapphire I owned, there'd be 3 old carbed land yachts from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, in the garage. Yes, I'd get a bigger house, but not some absurd "Cribs" sprawling mansion, I'd aim for an 80+ year older "estate" on some land with a warehouse of cars nearby, probably in New England. My daily would probably be a black CT6 platinum.
Quiet Luxury.
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2 minutes ago, ccap41 said:
While I agree it isn't all that useful as an actual watch, watches of this caliber are just a form of jewelry. It's no different than wearing a ring, necklace, earrings, etc. It's just jewelry. It's real purpose if for looks and/or "status". If one is wearing a Richard Mile, they are successful. Whether it's an employer gift or you can afford one yourself it's a sign of success, just like a 5ct diamond ring.
Eh, I prefer function before form. Both are important, but without the function, it's just flash which doesn't impress me. Same reason I won't wear clothing with giant brands on it.
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56 minutes ago, JamesB said:
Been lots of changes in my personal life.
Two years ago, after half a century of deep, almost suicidal depression, I finally saw a therapist, and she quickly figured things out, and I've been following her advice ever since.
The depression is gone, and people that knew me as little as 2 years ago would find me unrecognizable now.I have been there multiple times. Glad you found the way out.
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Great to see you back @JamesB. Naturally, I fully support a Toronado-powered motorhome!
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As I was emerging from the car wash, I spotted this beautiful Custom Bruiser whale waiting in line at the gas station in front of me.
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2 hours ago, ccap41 said:
That's honestly a pretty good looking watch. I just don't want some car branding on my watches so that "V" logo ruins an otherwise good looking watch.
That's pretty subtle compared to the Bugatti watches in the other thread. I normally don't do branded stuff if the logo was huge, but I wouldn't mind this.
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On 8/30/2023 at 8:29 PM, Robert Hall said:
Always liked Tag Heuers, back when I wore watches looked at them closely...the problem with many higher end watches is tend to be large and not look good on my skinny wrists... (I've been told I have a Mr Potato Head physique..). Back in the 00s had a coworker who I think had a watch addiction..he was buying new watches constantly, from a variety of brands..I think he had about 200 watches in 2005..
I've always liked silver watches with blue backgrounds, like this Tag Formula 1 (plus being an F1 fan makes this appealing). I have a Skagen that is nice and thin and the same color scheme.
I like this new Timex Pam Am tribute...love the classic Pan Am logo and the plane motif...
I saw these new Pan Ams in an ad the other day and it made me curious. They claim to be Pan American Worldwide Airways, but that company went defunct and the name Pan Am was bought by a railroad in New England.... so I'm not sure who the company is that is making these.
22 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/carlos-sainz-chases-down-thieves-083403469.html
Carlos Sainz chased down thieves and retrieved his watch worth £500,000 in a scary robbery incident in Milan just hours after Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix.
Ferrari star Sainz, still in his team kit, was targeted near the Armani hotel in central Milan at around 8:30pm on Sunday evening, reports in Italy detail.
Sainz, alongside members of his entourage and the public, then chased the thieves and successfully recovered his Richard Mille watch worth in the region of £500,000.
I've got very good eyes, but if I can't make out the time quickly because there isn't enough contrast or the face is too busy, it's failed me as a time piece.
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14 minutes ago, ccap41 said:
Aren't some of those charging ports + chord length kind of tricky at some places? Not saying they didn't park like an a-hole, but it COULD be out of necessity.
They look reasonably long in the first pic. The charge door on the Bolt is conveniently located.
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On 8/29/2023 at 10:38 AM, David said:
Guess we never started an August thread so here we start late and the WinCo grocery store just had their new 6 fast chargers with EVgo open and a Chevrolet Bolt when I came out was Charging.
Bolt driver went to the BMW-Lifted Truck School of Parking.
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Sorry your transition is bumpy and uncomfortable @oldshurst442
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1 hour ago, ccap41 said:
G63 is still quicker than an Escalade V.
The Raptor R is considerably quicker than the V in any use these vehicles will ever see.
I also LOVE Hagerty/Camissa's videos. They've very well done, IMO.
That's why I said "more than a 1/4 mile" because the Raptor tops out well before the V does.
1/4 mile times are less of a useful metric these days because it's too short of a distance to capture the full capability. Both the Raptor and V have 10-speed automatics and they made it to what, 4th or 5th gear? The Raptor hit its speed limiter while the V and the G were still stretching their legs.
If you let these keep going, the V is likely to come out in second behind the Lambo because it has the most torque + tallest gear ratios. The Lambo wins for being light and not shaped like a brick.
And yes, his videos are fantastic
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You guys will think I’m weird, but when I wear my watch I have to also wear a cuff or bracelet on the other arm or it feels unbalanced to me. I have a large collection of leather cuffs for my right hand for that reason.
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41 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:
You were not wrong. 8500 lbs. A shame. Its nice as a Cadillac and an Escalade.
Eh, mostly down low, and it is still faster than an Escalade V, which is faster than the G-Wagon AMG and in more than a 1/4 mile an F-150 Raptor.
43 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:What they SHOULD be bitchin' about is the weight problem. And how our existing infrastructure will be decimated very quickly if the weight problem is not addressed.
Also eh... our infrastructure is built for 80,000 lb tractor trailers, and lots of them. It won't notice something 1/10th of that.
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In Chaos Theory, the butterfly effect is the idea that a tiny change can result in massive changes later. The simple act of a butterfly flapping its wings could set into motion a series of events that change the weather.
In the summer of 2018, the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, the organization responsible for putting together the Detroit Auto Show, more formally known as the North American International Auto Show or NAIAS, announced that beginning in 2020, the show would move in the calendar from its traditional time in January to a summer month to allow for exhibits and demonstrations outside of what was then Cobo Hall. Little did the show organizers know, but they may have changed the course of history for millions of people.
The final January show in Detroit was in 2019. It was also the last time I attended after ten straight years of reporting directly from the show. I was looking forward to the summer shows in Detroit. The weather for the January shows has always been unpredictable. There have been years when it has been pleasantly mild and years where I’m driving through unplowed snow six inches deep and then having to schlep to the Cobo Center in dress shoes. Even with the poor weather, the Detroit Auto Show was always an exciting time to see the newest products and catch up with industry friends.
There was no Detroit show in 2020, nor was there a New York show, Chicago show, or Los Angeles show, for reasons we all understand in 2023. In the years following, the already struggling shows were cut down significantly, if they even ran at all.
Yesterday, I received my media credential for the 2023 North American International Auto Show, taking place in Detroit, starting September 13th. While I’ve registered for the credentials to various shows since 2021, this show in September will be the first I plan to attend since 2019. Thinking back, I realized how our recent history with Covid may have been very likely changed by the Detroit Auto Dealers Association’s desire to move the show outdoors. It is highly likely that this simple change in the schedule saved millions of lives.
I can remember hearing about this strange new virus in China in December 2019. I had recently left a position that I had held for 14 years and, armed with a very generous severance package, had decided to take a few months off to recuperate from burnout. We already knew that the Detroit auto show was not going to happen until the summer, so I took all of January off with the intent to start looking for work in February. History being what it was, I wouldn’t work full-time again until May 2020.
But consider the significance of NAIAS’s move to the summer; Wuhan is China’s 9th largest city, having a population of over 11 million. It is one of China’s most important industrial and research centers and, as such, is home to a large number of automobile part suppliers. Those automobile parts suppliers send reps to all the major auto shows globally.
December 31st, 2019
On New Year’s Eve 2019, Covid-19 was officially identified. Though it is now known that the earliest known infection was a person who fell ill on December 1st, 2019, there is also a possible earlier case on November 17th. I can tell you from experience that those of us in the U.S. who attend the Detroit auto show have our travel booked at least a month in advance, so it is likely that individuals who would be traveling internationally would have booked even earlier. And remember, before Covid, we did not have the mentality of “if you’re sick, stay home”. For an event as large and as important as the Detroit Auto Show, you just sucked it up and went. I am guilty of this myself. Before Covid-19, I would still attend the show even if I was feeling a little under the weather.
January 15th, 2020
Sixteen days after being officially identified, the seven-day rolling average for Covid-19 related deaths was nearly 8,000, mostly in China. January 15th is also traditionally the first or second day of the Detroit Auto Show, and Wuhan was still nine days away from lockdown. California, the first state in the US to lock down, was still two months away.
A series of unfortunate events… that didn’t happen
From here, it is not hard for anyone who has attended Media Days at any auto show to imagine the rest of the scenario. Auto shows are crowded affairs. Journalists and industry spies juggling to get access to the latest product or talk to manufacturers’ representatives. Shaking hands, talking in close quarters, and a distinct lack of respect for personal space is basically required. Nearly no one wears a mask.
With several hundred to over a thousand visitors coming into Detroit from Wuhan, the Detroit Auto Show would have been not A super spreader event, but THE super spreader event. This massive gathering of thousands of people in close quarters from all over the globe would have accelerated the pandemic on an unimaginable scale. The virus would have been taken back to cities across the US, Europe, and Asia in large numbers a full two months earlier and caused the pandemic to be far worse and far more rapid than what we went through.
Returning to Normalcy
Prior to Covid, working at the Detroit Auto Show could be a 14+ hour day. One year, I remember a 5 a.m. wake-up call to make a 6 a.m. Porsche press conference and then a series of events that lasted well into the evening. Those days are gone now, and the Detroit Show is a shell of its former self. This year, we expect five or fewer reveals, and even those might be simple facelifts or trim packages.
But one of the reasons that's happened is because attendance and coverage has dropped so significantly. Manufacturers don’t see the value in a show with a low attendance rate. I know it’s not going to be like the old days, but it will never come back if we continue to stay away. With that in mind, though the news from the show will still be thin this year, I will be covering the show in person once again, this time with a mask and some butterflies.
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That was a favorite of mine growing up.
This was another favorite.
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2 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:
Yes I am.
But... although not as huge muscled as you, I did do weights back in the day. I still got my chest and leg muscles in full force. My calves are still well defined. Ive lost my quads definition but all the leg muscles are still rock hard.
My biceps and triceps need work. I barely got my V around the shoulders where the biceps and tricpes begin. If I flex, the V and triceps are visible. Barely. But they are there.
*SIGH* the bicep and tricep muscles are pathetically dormant though.
Never had abs. I had a flat stomach then, not so much now, but at least Ive lost weight and the stomach is kinda flat again.
Too much work to have abs so I never concentrated on them. Playing sports I figured, abs are not important. I trained for strength and speed. Not for bulk and definition. But I have small wrists. I have a small to medium body frame. Im only 5 foot 6 and a half to 3 quarters tall after all. (to be exact...LOL) Not quite 5'7'' but definetaly taller than shorty 5.6''
lol, we might need a fitness thread too. I have never been built, I was always the trim/cut swimmers build right up until 2020 when the pandemic, a very sedentary job, and my 40s conspired together to build a dad bod and I gained 35 lbs, none of it muscle. In mid-July, work started a weight loss challenge where participants can win up to $500... so that made cookies really not worth it. At 5-weeks in, I'm down 17.4 lbs on a strict diet + swimming laps 3 times a week. The goal for the contest is being down 25 lbs by October 2nd, and shockingly, I'm in 5th place. After the contest is over, I'm going to keep it going and I'm aiming for 35 lbs down by November 7th, my birthday. I might aim for 50lbs down by Christmas with the goal of a swimmers body by then.
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Here's my Sturhling Bar Automatic, my favorite watch, I mentioned yesterday
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Random Thoughts Thread
in The Lounge
Posted
Cherokee is kinda a false statistic. Stellantis intentionally over produced it by a LOT because it’s going out of production but the EV that is replacing it won’t go into production in the next model year. Basically they built up stock levels to hold dealers over for longer.
I think the same goes for the Ford Edge which is already out of production until the next model comes which we haven’t even seen the new US version yet. Picture the new Nautilus with Ford bling.