Drew Dowdell

Tax cuts can't stimulate spending when we still have all of this debt....both public and private.

The confusion is with where you are measuring, not what you are measuring. Everyone's natural tendency is to measure what you put in the car to determine if it's a hybrid..... but a car is more about the motive power. And in the Volt, the motive power comes from the electric motors. We don't call Flex-Fuel vehicles hybrids just because they can run two different fuels do we?

I think this is a transition vehicle to get Chrysler to the actual 200. The Sebring is so bad, it won't make it 2 more years.

Thanks Gizhost, and welcome back. You should check out the other article I wrote aboutjournalists being irresponsible about this Volt reporting

Halloween Photohunt: Find the meanest, scariest, automotive face Win yourself a $25 Amazon gift card. Follow the link for rules and entry instructions. Cheers and Gears Photohunt Challenge: Meanest, Scariest, Automotive face

I'm not entering the contest myself. It's got to be a real car with real graphics...... if it doesn't have flames coming out of the headlights, you can't paint them in later with photoshop.

Photohunt: Meanest, Scariest automotive face We haven't had a contest in a while. In celebration of Halloween: Do your best to find the scariest, meanest automotive face, if chosen the winner, you'll receive a $25 Amazon gift card. Contest Rules: 1. One entry per user.... choose wisely. 2. Kit vehicles and custom vehicles are welcome.... but it has to be a real, physical, life size car. No scale models or CGI. 3. You need not be the photographer, however, if the picture is owned by another member of C&G, you cannot use it. 4. ENTRIES MUST BE UPLOADED TO C&G USING THE ATTACH FILES FUNCTION WHEN POSTING. ENTRIES FROM HOT LINKED IMAGES WILL BE DISQUALIFIED. 5. Entries must be at least 640x480 in size. 6. You can't use "Christine". I already did. Voting begins Friday, October 29th at 8pm eastern. Have your entry in by then. Voting will end Sunday, October 31st at midnight.

So wait... I.R.S. makes your car handle well automatically? I've got I.R.S. in the Toronado..... I should be able to take that new Jetta in an autocross right? right?

What are these based on.... and more importantly, can they make me a Roadmaster version?

I look forward to test driving the turbo

I'm not worked up over the rear suspension. Nearly any suspension type can be made to perform with the proper tuning...... Or did the Cobalt SS have a secretly installed I.R.S. when it took the title of fastest FWD car around the Nürburgring? It's the interior styling/materials and exterior blandness that bother me.

How much did it cost?

What about Japan's unwillingness to deleverage that we are duplicating? No one is willing to take the haircut... so everyone will end up getting one, and that will depress spending for a loooong time.

And every time I've bought a cheaper imitation, I've been sorely disappointed.

I'm still curious how we aren't like Japan.

Older vehicles almost always leak something... I fully expect that I'll need to do the valve cover gaskets this winter after I've switched the car now to full synthetic..... but this is a 30 year old car that I'm trying to preserve. If it needs gaskets... it'll get gaskets.

Multiple accounts are not allowed. Here's your B-day gift.

Oh I don't even agree that all of GM's products are fat.... some of the recent ones are, but only if you compare only price and not size to it's competition. SMK's favorite subject is how "fat" the CTS is compared to the 3-series..... well duh... the 5-series is "fat" compared to the 3-series too. The CTS is within a 10th of an inch of the 5-series in nearly every dimension and is within 70lbs - 150lbs in weight depending on equipment. The Traverse is rather portly if you're comparing it to the Pilot, but look at the size differences between the two. It really takes a "special" kind of student to expect a mid-size car to weigh the same as a large compact.

And while kudos should go to GM for engineering their cars to overcome the laws of physics while having such a weight penalty, imagine what they would be able to do with vehicles that weigh 300-500lbs less. The Camaro and Mustang run so close to each other in ability that most differences are mitigated by driver skill.... now imagine a Camaro with the Mustang's lighter weight. As I said, warranty is what you sell on when you have nothing else going for you. Up until very recently, both Hyundai and Kia were near the back of the pack of any comparison test they were in and their reliability and quality perceptions were the worst of just about anyone. There was no compelling reason to buy a Hyundai/Kia other than Low Cost + Warranty. Now that they've equaled or exceeded their competition in the actual product, I expect the warranty to go first and costs to rise second. Why? Because once the perceptions have changed to be more positive (which there is every sign that's happening already) Hyundai can make more profit on the same product. Hyundai is really aiming for Toyota's perception position they held in 2002. Once they can get people to buy a Hyundai regardless of warranty, looks, or actual reliability (as opposed to perceived) they will have succeeded and the warranty will be toast.

Man... look at that blip there in 1980 and then a constant sinking feeling ever since..... it's almost as if some large even happened in 1980 that changed the way our economic system was organized. Once upon a cold November, back in `80, you'll remember, Came to pass a great election, with a wondrous change in store; By a landslide, one was winning, promising a new beginning; Tall and proud, he stood there, grinning, like so many times before; Who was he, this cool one, grinning, like so many times before? 'Twas The Reagan, nothing more. Once he was inaugurated, Reaganomics he created, Promising a balanced budget, like we had in days of yore; "Though," he said, "our debt is growing, and a bundle we are owing, "I'll cut taxes, 'cause I'm knowing this will save us bucks galore;" "Please explain," a newsman asked, "how will this save us bucks galore?" Quoth The Reagan, "Less is more." Pushing for defense, he pleaded, brand-new missiles would be needed: "That's the only way," he said, "to keep the country out of war;" "True," he said, "they're not required, and they're not meant to be fired; "In five years they'll be retired--still we must build hundreds more;" "Tell us why," a newsman asked, "we must be building hundreds more?" Quoth The Reagan, "Jobs galore." Was he real or from a movie? "Make my day" sure sounded groovy, Standing up to Congress or the rebels in El Salvador; Flicks like "Rambo" he promoted (sev'ral times, it should be noted); Once John Wayne he even quoted, when Kaddafi threatened war; "Does this mean," a newsman asked, "we're heading toward a Mid-East war?" Quoth The Reagan, "Hit the shore." During times he wasn't dozing, many plans he was proposing, Dealing with the deficit, which he no longer could ignore; "Cuts," he said, "I'm recommending, pending our ascending spending, "With attending trends suspending, then extending as before." "Does this mean," a newsman asked, "a balanced budget like before?" Quoth The Reagan, "Nevermore!"

that's what she said....

in a tattoo parlor

I voted "vehicle weight" because it's the most ignored and the most needing of improvement. Powertrain already has a solid base. Interior styling has already improved greatly. I expect further improvements in material quality now that GM doesn't have the legacy costs hanging around it's neck, but those will be incremental rather than a radical change. Only two interiors in test cars that I've driven were disappointments. (traverse and terrain) On the traverse it was an issue of material quality AND build quality. On the Terrain it was just a build quality issue, but the styling and materials were fine. Bold exterior styling: Not everything needs to be "bold", but it still should be head turning. Warranty - GM is fine here. Warranty is something you sell on when you don't have anything else going for you. I expect Hyundai/Kia to dial theirs back eventually now that they have product that sells on it's own merits.

France doesn't have an issue really. Much of their high unemployment is from the immigrant population. Their productivity per worker tends lower, but at the same time they take a lot more leisure time than we do. They don't have the national mentality that the corporations get 85% of your waking life and you only get 15% like we have here. The pace overall is just a lot slower (outside of the big cities) even just compared to our own rural areas. I actually wish we had a mentality closer to this.... it would be a lot less stressful for everyone.

You cannot tell me that higher taxes and some socialist type system for health care, education, and transportation stifles the desire to better one's self and at the same time say that Germany produces some of the world's most aspirational vehicles. I notice NO lack of entrepreneurship in Germany when I'm there. In fact, I sat down last month in Cologne with my friend and another of his friends to review a business plan they have for a new line of adult personal lubrication and skin lotion products they're developing (one of them has a lot of experience in producing them). Even gave them a good name for two of the products that will likely end up being used. I continue to help them remotely now.