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Drew Dowdell

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Everything posted by Drew Dowdell

  1. Drew Dowdell
    They'll probably go with DS, but I wish they'd go with Citroen. They won't go with either of the actual names because Americans can't be bothered to learn how to spell them or say them. See also: Suzuki Kizashi.
  2. Drew Dowdell
    The GV80 comparison to the XT5 is only approximate. It looks as big on the outside as the XT5, but with packaging like that, it'd have to be smaller inside. The XT5 has a very short pug snout while the GV80 is long. And yes on the smaller luxury crossovers, the whole industry is chasing that space right now and it's relatively new segment, so Genesis would be wise to get in at the start.
  3. Drew Dowdell
    $100k (G-wagon minus the cost of a nice Mustang) buys a LOT of furniture delivery. Heck, $40k (G-wagon minus an Escalade ESV Platinum) buys a decent F-150 to haul your furniture home in, and then you're getting TWO vehicles that have nicer interiors and more up to date powertrains. And I have a second set of tires for my CR-V and Encore also, and they're AWD.
  4. Drew Dowdell
    This is true. The cars are prepped before they go on the floor and I am on the floor on the first day the show is open. General peasent public days, yes, the cars get messed up... and there is usually at least one mishap during press days (I got pics of the previous generation Lincoln MKZ catching on fire on the floor). But that's just not the case for the G-Wagon. It wasn't new, people weren't crawling over it. It is mostly ignored.
  5. Drew Dowdell
    I don't recall which show those pictures came from. If it was Chicago or LA, the car was probably provided by the largest local dealer. If it was Detroit or NYC, it was probably provided by Benz. In either event, the cars go through pre-show prep before they go on the floor. Only the brand new releases for the show are always provided by the manufacturers. But who knows? Maybe they put a 1997 G-Wagon on the floor and there was no way I could tell because I didn't have a VIN decoder handy.
  6. Drew Dowdell
    Camaro and Mustang actually ride really nice. I like either of them for a long distance drive. Wrangler takes its top off, which I'm told can be fun. The Raptor has at least the abilities that any other truck offers. In any case, for G-Wagon money, I can buy a Camaro, Mustang, Wrangler, and Raptor and still have money left over to fuel all of them for a few years
  7. Drew Dowdell
    Give me a little credit here. This wasn't my first time at the rodeo. LA Auto Show is in a few months. If you really want, I'll take more pics for you.
  8. Drew Dowdell
    No, not really. Plenty of people use Mustangs, Camaros, Wranglers, and even F-150 Raptors as daily drivers. The G-wagon is a ginormous gas hog, rides poorly, and built the same way they built cars in 1975. The main redeeming quality is you can buy most replacement parts off the HELP! rack at Walmart.
  9. Drew Dowdell
    I believe they are going to lead off with an XT5 sized crossover first.
  10. Drew Dowdell
    Right, they're selling it for that much because they can, I don't blame Mercedes for it one bit. I can still think they are a terrible deal, no? The reason the G-Wagon keeps coming up is because @smk4565 likes to tout it as "the best" simply because it costs so much. It is not a luxury vehicle in the same vein as the GLS or Escalade or Range Rover though... it is a luxury vehicle simply because it is a luxury to own such an expensive toy that has few redeeming qualities for everyday use. And of course they are hand built.... you could assemble one with a power drill bought at harbor freight. 70 - 3-series sized, 80 - CT6 sized (larger than 5-series, smaller than 7 Long wheel base) 90 - 7-series LWB sized. The one on the auto show floor wouldn't be any different mechanically than one at the dealership though... it's not like some visitor snuck in and changed out the screws in the door. Besides, I go on press days before you riff-raff are allowed in. (That's obviously a joke, because as @William Maley can tell you, auto journalists can be some of the most obnoxious people you ever meet)
  11. Drew Dowdell
    These are pictures I took of a production vehicle.
  12. Drew Dowdell
    The GM twins are selling well, but without an interior refresh will start to age quickly. I'm glad they're keeping the mechanicals up to date with changes each year... but they need to spruce up the interior, pronto.
  13. Drew Dowdell
    No, I don't mind old school vehicles at all. I often prefer to drive my '81 over either of my newer cars. I *love* old cars. If the G-Wagon was priced like a Wrangler, even only double the Wrangler, you wouldn't hear a peep of complaint out of me..... but $140k? That's 3.5 very nicely equipped wranglers. You could literally buy one of each model Trailhawk that Jeep sells (there are 4) plus a Wrangler unlimited and still pay less money than a single G-Wagon. You misunderstand me. My objection to the G-Wagon is only to the price of the thing compared to the way it is built.... especially since the tooling was paid off before you were born. I like the Wrangler for a weekend of fun, but I'd never own one as a DD. Just because I don't want one as a daily driver doesn't mean I can't appreciate it for other things.
  14. Drew Dowdell
    This assumes that FCA makes it that long. The LX platform, as a platform, is still quite good. Sure, it's a bit heavier than the Avalon, but it's right around the same as any of the other full size cars give or take a few cases of water. In V6 form, the cars get excellent fuel economy for their size/weight, and the Pentastar doesn't even use direct injection yet, though it was designed from the start to be able to get it.
  15. Drew Dowdell
    The Escalade would be my DD, but I get your point. No, I don't care that the G-Wagon can go pining for the fjords.... The amount of off-roading I do even my CR-V can handle.
  16. Drew Dowdell
    There aren't squeaks and rattles because you can tighten everything up with a penknife every time you stop for gas. I don't blame MB for selling these.... if they can get suckers to buy them for $110k+, more power to them. But don't let's hold the G-Wagon up as some marvel of engineering. John Deeres run forever also. Hahah! We posted the same pics at the same time. Here's the whole thread for those who are interested. Mercedes G-Class quality
  17. Drew Dowdell
    I only picked Lordstown because only the Cruze is there and there is a good half of that plant just sitting dark or as warehouse space. D-Ham I believe GM has plans for.
  18. Drew Dowdell
    Pick a goal post and stick with it. You're all over the map SMK! We get it, you think that no matter what GM does, Mercedes does it better, and you'll make up every excuse or strawman argument in the book when you're shown to be wrong.
  19. Drew Dowdell
    ATS and CTS are on the same platform. Transmissions, engines, shared up and down the line... you can get the same powertrain ATS, CTS, CT6. The transmission is the 8L45 which is a light duty version of the 8L90 which is used in all of the 1500 series trucks, and Canyonado , plus the ATS-V and CTS-V. The 2.0T is used in lots of stuff, so is the 3.6. The only engines that haven't been borrowed from Cadillac yet are the 3.0T and 3.6T. The AWD system in the XT5 is the same twin-clutch system in the Lacrosse and Acadia All-Terrain, it's made by a third party, and also used in the Focus RS plus a few other brands, no worries about economies of scale there. Your prediction that FWD based crossovers will die off is wrong. Mercedes, BMW, and Infiniti just added to the count. As @surreal1272 warned you, be careful where you move those goalposts to. Mercedes builds vinyl laden taxis and for years built silly little things like the A-Class and B-Class.
  20. Drew Dowdell
    Our CR-V has it. The big GM SUVs have it too Ironically, the EcoSport debuted before the Trax, just not in the US. It was a Euro only model. The new XC90 and XC60 do not
  21. Drew Dowdell
    GM has two luxury brands in China... GM still outsells Mercedes there. I'm talking about the economies of scale of the 3.6 V6, CUE (most of the underlying programming is identical to Mylink and IntelliLink), transmissions and stuff. That GM 8-speed and 9-speed are going into everything. A lot of the innards that drivers never see are shared with 3 other crossovers with more to come.
  22. Drew Dowdell
    You're the one who insists that RWD sells crossovers.... Well why aren't the RWD crossovers selling? None of the Germans can outsell the Cadillac with a single model. The RX is more than double any German on the list. The RX nearly outsell the X5, GLE, and Q5 combined if you're comparing size. It does outsell the GLC, Q3, and X3 combined if you're comparing price. Conclusion: Either way you slice it, your assertion about RWD and crossovers is flat wrong and has been for more than a decade. I wouldn't make any bets on profitability. Benz and Volvo may make a couple >$100k sales, but that is not going to make up for the vast economies of scale that the Lexus and Cadillac have.
  23. Drew Dowdell
    Well yeah. Circular justification. I can't pull all this trailer without a Super Duty. I paid $70k for a truck, I'm going to get a trailer to match.
  24. Drew Dowdell
    Trailers are balanced differently in Europe so smaller cars can get away with it. Here in the US, trailers a larger percentage of weight onto the hitch, that's why cars run out of rating so quickly here.
  25. Drew Dowdell
    I think it will stay. They never removed the "no towing" restriction on the Encore, though the Euro one is approved for about 1000 lbs.
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