Drew Dowdell

Did the regular Yaris get canceled or something? It pains me to see that the C-HR sells so well compared to the Corolla IM. The C-HR is less useful, it's ugly, has a rather spartan interior, and worst of all... it's a fake crossover. With no AWD available, it's just a tall, ungainly hatchback.

He's not saying that is isn't good. He's saying that he wouldn't want to pay for it because he doesn't find it useful. I kinda agree with him here, but also with the caveat that there are good HUDs and distracting HUDs, so not only would it be something I'm skeptical about paying for, I would also cast a critical eye on if it was a good one or a bad one.

eh... only if done well..... the bad ones can be distracting

It was only a matter of time... even a non-HD Yukon XL Denali can get to $80k. The 2018 Expedition MAX Platinum goes to $84k

I'm only going into the office once a week anymore... it is so bad where I was moved to "to be closer to my team". They aren't my team, we just have the same titles. My teams are in the UK, Houston, Toronto, NJ.... I have no team in Pittsburgh. My boss is in London, his boss is in Houston, his boss' boss is in London.

The *worst* "invention" ever inflicted on office workers is the open office concept. I have no less than 7 loud conversations going on around me right now. Every. Single. Person. is on a different conference call, yet each call seems to be covering roughly the same subjects.

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!