Drew Dowdell

One of our friends/neighbors has family in Montreal and says the drive isn't bad. I'd probably still fly... or maybe do something like take the train out of NYC.

How are you going to publish it?

Regal and Verano fairly different, but both solid. A Verano is a nicer, quieter, more powerful Cruze. They have the steady reliable 2.4 Direct Injected Ecotec that GM put in everything. There is a CPO 2014 Verano with 15k miles and a sticker of $13,999 just about walking distance from you. If AWD is no longer a requirement, then that car right there is my answer.

No, but maybe people who live in Benzes shouldn't throw depreciation stones at Pacifica Hybrids.

Depreciation does matter. It's factored into your lease.

Two years newer. Better engine. Better interior. Better infotainment (original MyFordSync suuuucks, Mark Fields put his fist through the screen of one,) and lower miles, thus more time left on the warranty.

The Fisker Karmas were breathtaking in person. I've actually driven them. Their issue was never the powertrain, that was perfectly fine for the application. Their issue was the kit-car interior. It was in no way close to the level of interior you'd expect from a car in that price range... well below even Tesla in that regard.

Does percentage really matter when you're losing that absolute volume of dollars in that amount of time? Heck, even rapidly depreciating vehicles like the Regal are only losing $15k in 2 years... sure, that might be 30% of their value, but it's only $15k, not $60k like the S-Class. Like I said, a Pacifica Hybrid buyer could have their vehicle depreciate to ZERO and they'd still be ahead of the money lost by someone getting into an S-Class. If I have the choice of losing $47k or $60k, I'm going to chose the $47k regardless of what percentage of the original value that is. Percentages are meaningless to your checkbook in this case.

I love these two shots of the Escala concept: Bond villain arrives at escape hanger: Look how long it is... longer wheelbase than the S-Class... and still distinctly Cadillac.

I don't think any of the Teslas are particularly attractive... they're just jellybeans nearly completely devoid of character. However, I do love the powertrain setup on them. That powertrain in something like the Escala concept in @oldshurst442 sig would be orgasm inducing.

That's still better than an S-Class... an S-class loses more than the entire MSRP of the Pacifica Hybrid in just 2 years. You could buy a Pacifica Hybrid, have it depreciate 100% and still be ahead on the money compared to an S-Class buyer/leaser, yet still be under warranty. So, using your logic, the Pacifica Hybrid is better than the S-class.

Fixed it for your delicate sensibility regarding grammar.

I dumped a rental property that I swear was cursed.

Induction motors are every bit as capable as internal combustion and power some of the fastest land based vehicles on the planet for millions of miles of travel at 180 miles an hour.

Another server in the network we sit in was under DDOS attack. We weren't being attacked directly, but the strain on the network caused our outbound connections to slow or fail. It has been resolved.

Here's a CPO 2017 Regal 2.0T AWD, 13k miles, $19,899 down at Reedmans.

With regards to Jeep, you cannot look at the entire brand as judgment against a single model or even a single powertrain in a single model. Jeep has one of the most convoluted lineups in terms of who engineered what in any brand I can think of today. Wrangler - Basic platform goes back decades, Chrysler engine, Mercedes-Benz 5-speed automatic Grand Cherokee - Daimler Chrysler developed platform with roots in the older M-Class, Chrysler Gas engines, VM Motori diesel engines (now FCA owned, but not when they were developed), ZF 8-speed automatic or Mercedes-Benz 5-speed automatic depending on age (If it has an E-shifter, it's an 8-speed, if it has a more traditional gated shifter it's a 5-speed) Cherokee - Fiat Platform modified by Chrysler for Jeep, the 4-cylinder is a code-share Global Engine Alliance engine shared with Mitsubishi and Hyundai with each manufacturer adding their own smaller touches, the 3.2 is a 3.6 Pentastar V6 that's been de-bored, ZF makes the transmission (shared with Land Rover, Acura, and a few others) New Compass - See Cherokee minus the 3.2 V6 option. Patriot / Old Compass - a hodge podge of Mitsubishi, Chrysler, Hyundai, and Daimler engineering. Uses the same 2.4 as the Cherokee and either a Hyundai 6-speed auto, JATCO CVT, or Asin manual. Renegade - Mostly Fiat, can either have a Fiat engine or the Global Engine Alliance 2.4, the Automatic is the ZF unit, the manual is a Fiat developed one. With so many variables, you have to drill down to a specific model in a specific year with a specific powertrain before you can get an idea about any average reliability. Aside from Jeep, the Regal depreciates rapidly, is very reliable, and can be had for a song. In my view, it is one of the best built of the GM vehicles in the entire lineup, even more so than the trucks or 'Burban.

I'm going to have to stop in if/when we get to Montreal. My partner has been wanting to take a trip there for a few years now, but we couldn't make it work for whatever reason. We have a lot more freedom now as of Friday at 4pm.. so maybe in the spring.

I have finally unloaded a gigantic financial burden. The years of stress it has caused me ...it will take a while to feel normal again. But, here's to a substantially improved future!

With what you've shot down so far, I'm back to Equinox/Terrain or Escape. The Renegade is likely too small. The Cherokee might be an option. The V6 is better than the 4 cylinder, but harder to find and more $$.

Cubical is right

I can't say enough good about my Encore, as you my only complaint is it is low on power, but it is fuel efficient and has been reliable for the 67k miles we've had it. The AWD system in them is excellent. CPOs can be found in the $15k range, but they'll mostly have over 50k miles on them. They are not terribly exciting, but I bet you can pick up a previous generation Equinox or Terrain 4-cylinder AWD CPO for cheap. If he can keep his foot out of it on the highway, it will do better than 30mpg. If a crossover isn't needed, the best deal on the planet for an AWD vehicle would probably be a CPO Chrysler 200C or 200S. AWD is only on the V6 models. They use a similar AWD setup to the new Twin-Clutch in the Buick Lacrosse and Ford Focus RS, which is supposed to be top of the line. Most of the complaints about the 200's powertrain come from the 4-cylinder models, the V6 has enough torque to keep the 9-speed happy. Here's a CPO 2015 200S with 21k miles for $15,448 If you really wanna go wild, you can even extend this to the 300C which is probably the best deal on a full size with AWD that you'll find. Here's one for $19,000 with 16,917 miles on it. .. and another. My experiences with the Chrysler 300 has always been positive. Stick with 2012 or newer to get the excellent 8-speed automatic (V6 Only).

Those margins will get better as we move to EVs though. It is the relative simplicity of the electric motor and the lower overall regulation compliance needed (no emissions, easier time with crash standards) that lower the bar of entry. I'm sure we haven't seen the last new entrant into the marketplace by a pure EV manufacturer.

It's gotta be some automatic flagging via bots. If google can match people's faces in pictures from various websites, I'm sure they can determine when it's a picture of scantily clad body parts. The web policing is only because I use google ads on this website for revenue. If I didn't use google ads, google wouldn't care. .. but they pay the best by far, so I have that deal with the devil.

Then that right there is my point. You would plug in your EV every night when you were done... you'd start each morning with a 250 mile range. You'd NEVER stop for charging EVER in your daily routine. If you're going on a longer trip, you're already out of your routine, and there are apps to plan your trip for charging if you're going to need it. You "fill up" literally every night, in the morning, unplug the car with a full charge and go. If your daily usage is less than 50 miles, you could go the entire work week without plugging it in. You would save so much in fuel costs, that if you absolutely needed to do a trip the EV couldn't do (and that factor is diminishing daily), that the money saved in fuel would rent you a nice car for the trip.