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Drew Dowdell

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Everything posted by Drew Dowdell

  1. Drew Dowdell
    Well these days I can buy an AMG poser appearance package for my base model 4-cylinder e-class.
  2. Drew Dowdell
    I would think that anything that can hold an OHC V10 could handle a Turbo V6.... it's probably something to do with service and maintenance... like no way to reach the oil filter or something weird like that. But even still. I don't think the 3.5EB would be a good performance fit here.
  3. Drew Dowdell
    The 2017 ended production back in May/June and the 2018 entered production in late August. Sales blips like that happen all the time during a model change over. I honestly think that Lacrosse buyers don't like the new car. I know I am not all that excited about it. I much prefered both of the prior generations of Lacrosse. The new one checks all the right boxes on paper, but visually does not have the presence of the prior two models. As for the new Regal, I think it will do better than the prior one did, but it will never be a super hot seller. The GS looks promising... and oddly... my partner specifically wants the GS. Not for any performance characteristics, but because he wants another Buick and he wants massaging seats. I'm leaning towards Volvo myself, but if he really wants a GS, that's what I'll get I guess.
  4. Drew Dowdell
    Eh, they're good slow speed tuggers if not particularly fuel efficient. Not something you have to wind up like an EB. Remember, HP is a function of torque and RPM, so the slower the engine is turning when it is making that torque, the less horsepower it makes. Also, those numbers didn't look right, so I also went and looked them up on Ford's website and found this: The meat of that 420 lb-ft or 356 lb-ft is going to be available at very low RPM. No, they're not race motors. They're built for pulling. In an Ecoboost, you'll be spooling up the turbo constantly to get that sort of power.
  5. Drew Dowdell
    What do you mean "How so?" You show it yourself. Every Cadillac engine has more power than the Benz version. N/A V6 - Benz doesn't even make one and has you make due with a Turbo-4 instead. Cadillac's can go to 335hp. But just for good measure, Cadillac's 4-cylinder also beats the standard issue Benz 4-cylinder too. Sure you can get the CLA AMG43, but unlocking more power from the Cadillac LTG is just a stage kit away. Turbo V6 - Benz tops out at 396. Cadillac has a 3.0TT which isn't even a "V" engine that does more than that, the 3.6TT makes up to 460. V8 - Benz makes 383 horsepower to Cadillac's 420. Force-fed V8 - Again, Benz comes up short.
  6. Drew Dowdell
    CPO 3.0TT CT6 look really attractive right now.
  7. Drew Dowdell
    I understand that. I was just stating that there was overlap of a new model and old model for a few years. Just like how the old Impala was still in production for fleets for a few years after new Impala went on sale.... or how... Caravan is still set for production. It is currently suspended, but production of the 2018 is expected to start in a month.
  8. Drew Dowdell
    Unsure on made to order, but no, they churn out a bunch of vehicles, and when Uhaul comes up on the caller ID, they ship them out.
  9. Drew Dowdell
    E-series is still sold only in chassis cab and cut cab. no end date set. The Renegade, though smaller than the Patriot, took the place of the Patriot in the Jeep lineup at the same price point. The Compass is above it. Jeep didn't really lose any models, they just had overlap of an outgoing and incoming model at the same time that gave it the appearance of a lost model. Five years ago the lineup was Patriot, Compass, Liberty, Wrangler, Grand Cherokee. Today it is Renegade, Compass, Cherokee, Wrangler, Grand Cherokee. 5 then, 5 now. The Envision is substantially more expensive than a Verano. There is zero point in comparing sales. They are also only building so many of them for the U.S. due to the distance of the production line and popularity in China. The Dart and 200 were compromised vehicles using older platforms. While neither of them were bad vehicles, they weren't competitive in their respective markets. Chrysler also made the mistake of trying to capture the low end of the market with the 200... they should have made it a Regal equivalent and priced it accordingly. Build a new avenger off the same platform for the low end if need be.
  10. Drew Dowdell
    That's fine Benz or Cadillac.... lower the prices of the CPO models and send me the links.
  11. Drew Dowdell
    The Costco guy tells me it's due to the roads around here. He doesn't give me any trouble about it.
  12. Drew Dowdell
    That's actually even easier. Run the vent pipe straight up to the roof. https://www.firesidechimneysupply.com/
  13. Drew Dowdell
    Why are all of those AMG models all up to 100 horsepower and 100 lb-ft of torque behind any class competition from Cadillac?
  14. Drew Dowdell
    I made a server update and configuration change today at 12:00 est. I updated us to a technology called HTTP2. It should more than double the speed of pages loading for you. Please let me know if you any issues.
  15. Drew Dowdell
    You can get a ventless gas log (I don't like them, I can always smell them even though the manufacturers claim you can't) You can also get a higher efficiency vented set and run them out the wall instead. http://www.heatilator.com/Shopping-Tools/Blog/Gas-Fireplace-Venting-Explained.aspx The Toronado wears 205/75R15s with a 1.25" white wall. Virtually impossible to find. Aside from the whitewall, the size is shared with the oooold 80's S-10 truck and also is a common trailer tire size for boats/RVs. The only decent tire I can find is a Uniroyal Tigerpaw. The whitewall is a little on the narrow side, but it will have to do. I just don't feel the need to spend the $450 on them until April since the car won't be driven much, if at all, until then.
  16. Drew Dowdell
    I don't follow your logic. Why can't the car just be selling well? Why does 2,000 a month have to be mostly fleet? You can't seem to get over the fact that there are lots of people who buy cars who don't think like you. The XTS is a big, comfortable, luxury sedan with a V6 for around $50k. Can't get a 6-cylinder in a Benz, BMW, or Audi for that price. You can't get the space or luxury features from the Germans for that price. For many (including me), the smoothness of a V6 outweighs any raw performance that some overboosted turbo-4 might provide. In the $50k - $60k range, the XTS is easily a better deal than any of the germans and the only reason to go with them is badge snobbery. $55k gets you XTS Luxury AWD = 304hp, 264 lb-ft V6, AWD, leather seats, android auto, apple car play, embedded NAV, heated and cooled seats, heated rear seats, heated steering wheel, keyless entry and start E300 4Matic = 241hp, 273 lb-ft, 4-cylinder, AWD, Plastic seats, Android Auto is N/A, Apple Car Play is N/A (that I can find), embedded NAV, heated and cooled seats are extra cost ($450), heated steering wheel is extra cost ($250), keyless entry and start is extra cost (part of a $3,700 package). The driver awareness package at Cadillac is $1,700 while the equivalent package at Benz is $3700. So, for anyone who runs the numbers instead of just blindly signing any 3-pointed star embossed piece of paper, the XTS is a better car for the price.
  17. Drew Dowdell
    New Regal isn't even out yet and old Regal is out of production already. My Buick dealer has a single previous gen Regal in stock new There are no Cadillac sedans newer than the XTS. As of August, the XTS is the one with the most recent refresh. I've seen a number of them on the road already.
  18. Drew Dowdell
    Both daily cars are AWD. I have 90k Michelins on the Honda, but they never get past 40k. It doesn't bother me too much because I get more than 50% off my next set. The Toronado will need new tires in the spring. They're some off-brand that I bought 7 years ago and they've always been terrible. They're getting dry-rot now, so even though they have a bit of treadwear left, I'm not comfortable taking them on long trips anymore. I did 1,000 mile trip on them in Sept and it will basically remain garaged until April.
  19. Drew Dowdell
    I don't have a second set of wheels. I take the tires to Costco and have them swapped off the rims. This does two things: 1. I don't have to have a second set of rims also. 2. It keeps my tire swaps and rotations on record for warranty purposes. I keep strictly to the rotation schedule and Costco always warranties out my tires because they never make it to 50% of treadwear warranty miles before they need to be replaced. Can you do a gas burner (slightly better than electric) or a wood stove?
  20. Drew Dowdell
    I'm wondering what advantage you'd get out of it in your driving though. If you don't have the performance to need it in the first place, won't the OE brakes do?
  21. Drew Dowdell
    Long disagreement short: There are older vehicles out there that are not and will never be museum pieces, so there is no harm in in powertrain swapping them or converting them to EV. I'd have no problem pulling a tired, smogged, 500ci from a 70's Eldorado or Fleetwood and finding a way to load a P100 power unit in there. crap... I forgot. I'll need to do this soon too. We had our first fire of the season here yesterday. How time flies. Oct 31st was my 10 year anniversary and it seems like just yesterday. And yet, there are some of you here who I've known longer than that.
  22. Drew Dowdell
    Hey, if FCA can get the $$ for it, I don't blame them for the pricing.
  23. Drew Dowdell
    Talk about cars, not about each other. First general warning.
  24. Drew Dowdell
    I haven't driven the 6-speed auto... but it's only available in the FWD base model Compass, so I think the take rate will be too low to matter. The ZF 9HP fuss is much ado about nothing. It had some early teething issues, but I've not had any even minor issues with it in a while. It shifts smooth and goes about its business without getting in the way. The problem arises when it is paired with engines having mediocre low-end torque like the 2.4 Tigershark. In that scenario, the transmission will shift more often than people are used to in a futile hunt for more torque. It's not the transmission's fault, it's just doing the best it can with the amount of torque being provided. With that, I feel that the 9HP is getting a bad reputation that it doesn't deserve. It is just like any other transmission when paired with weaksauce a engine. Given the choice between the Rogue Sport CVT or the Compass 9HP, I'll pick the 9HP every day of the week and twice on Sundays. That isn't to say that I dislike CVTs, but the Nissan CVT is another one that does best with an engine with torque.
  25. Drew Dowdell
    The ecological damage of battery mining is largely Fake News promoted by people who have an agenda against EVs. Lithium is mined from predominantly from "the deadest places on earth". From the article: Furthermore, coal generation is rapidly declining. Those who are savvy about EVs usually have other environmental concerns in mind, thus are more likely to have solar panels or where available, select renewable generation for their house. I don't have an EV, but I have already switched my house to 100% power via my electric utility.
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