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Drew Dowdell

Editor-in-Chief
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Everything posted by Drew Dowdell

  1. Drew Dowdell
    Electrification done right can be better than diesel because you can have all the torque and yet still run in EV only mode part of the time producing no emissions at all. Since Volvo has gone all 4-cylinder, adding electrification can be another boost to power also.
  2. Drew Dowdell
    Plenty of space in a Roller for batteries and weight has never been an issue.
  3. Drew Dowdell
    Escalade Platinum or CT6 PHEV
  4. Drew Dowdell
    From what he was given to work with at the start, he went about it in the most wrong way possible. He started with 3 fairly full brands in the US, inflated that to 4, and then added 3 more to the mix. The problem is that instead of investing in the strong brands, he dumped a ton of money into nearly dead brands with no presence in the U.S.. At the time that Fiat took over Chrysler: Maserati had 2 models (4-port, and GT). Now they have 4. Alfa Romero was down to a couple economy cars, the GM Epsilon based 159, and the 8C. All of which were dead by 2011. From 2011 to 2016, the model lineup was comprised of the MiTo (Ford Fiesta competitor), Giulietta (Focus competitor), and the 4C. In the same timeframe, Chrysler brand went from 6 to 2. Dodge went from 9 to 5 with one of those 5 known to die very soon (Viper) - This is not counting the removal of Ram trucks to their own brand, if you count that, Dodge went from 13 to 5. Jeep has mostly held it's own.
  5. Drew Dowdell
    98% of FCA's problem sits in a big corner office wearing a sweater.
  6. Drew Dowdell
    Do not feed the ghosts.
  7. Drew Dowdell
    Guys, can we not dig up the Ghost of Christmas past even though we know he still haunts us?
  8. Drew Dowdell
    Can you list which ones you think are on the chopping block? I have my own ideas, but I wonder what yours are.
  9. Drew Dowdell
    It really boils down to whether Ford or GMC can get me the better deal on the configuration I want. GMC has the advantage here based solely on my ability to get supplier pricing. That said, I'm still pretty stuck on finding a low mileage Avalanche or Escalade EXT because I don't do many miles anymore and I could keep it a long time with just a head unit upgrade.
  10. Drew Dowdell
    Well we still have he CRV, it's primarily a rental property work vehicle now.
  11. Drew Dowdell
    The only reason we leased the Buick is that we were expecting a life change at the end of the 2 years. That didn't happen, so we ended up buying it out.
  12. Drew Dowdell
    Friend of mine just leased a Sierra Denali with the 6.2.... has me so jealous.
  13. Drew Dowdell
    And GM was already running everything but the A/C compressor off electric back then. The eAssist engines have electric oil pumps, electric water pumps. The belt in an eAssist car only has 3 stops. Crank, A/C, and the Alternator-Starter
  14. Drew Dowdell
    The BAS system is just a matter of scale not voltage. 10 years ago when GM was first developing it, lithium ion batteries were not even an option from a cost perspective. Don't go walking around claiming Mercedes does something first when all they did was take a decade old proven concept and update it with some newer tech.
  15. Drew Dowdell
    It's amazing.... Mercedes was the first with airbags too even though Oldsmobile came out with them 6 years prior... Now Mercedes is the first to do a mild hybrid a full 10 years after General Motors and 18 years after Honda. All of the mild hybrid systems that GM and Honda did were 36volt - 42 volt systems.... another 6 volts is immaterial. Yes, I know that a mild hybrid drops the alternator.. (not really, but I'll work with your error). We did an article on it 5 years ago. but Mercedes is first.
  16. Drew Dowdell
    I'd only go for the Ford with a 5.0 engine, no ecoboost for me. Luckily they don't have much of an upcharge for it... about half the upcharge as the 6.2 in the GM Twins. Still, the 6.2 and the 8-speed are a fantastic setup. I doubt I'd miss the 2 extra gears the Ford has for now.
  17. Drew Dowdell
    So the gain in mpg is not from the change to 48 volt but from the change to a mild hybrid system.... So Mercedes is following the 2007 Saturn Vue Green Line (36 battery / 42 volt charging system)
  18. Drew Dowdell
    Why does system voltage change the fuel economy of the car? (Honest question)
  19. Drew Dowdell
    $2700 is about the same as the upgrade from a Pentastar to a Hemi in a 300. .. but yes that is a bit much for an upgrade. A low boost 4.3 V6 might make an interesting option, but for most people, the 5.3 is more than plenty.
  20. Drew Dowdell
    How does that explain the 43 in the CLA?
  21. Drew Dowdell
    Benz's naming scheme is completely bonkers.
  22. Drew Dowdell
    They range from 3 y/o to 22 y/o. They can learn to drive on their parents cars. ;-)
  23. Drew Dowdell
    I want to be rid of that Honda so bad... I've been looking at low mileage Bravadas, Rainiers, and 9-7xs just as an interim solution.
  24. Drew Dowdell
    I'd like the Jeep GC too... but if I'm going to get that type of vehicle, I'm thinking a 3-row is preferable.
  25. Drew Dowdell
    The Pacifica almost has me convinced.... But I'd like to do a bit of mild off-roading. So Avalanche/Tahoe are at the top of my list.
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