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Drew Dowdell

Editor-in-Chief
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Everything posted by Drew Dowdell

  1. Drew Dowdell
    Hmm... it looks like the Opel interior in a different shell.
  2. Drew Dowdell
    And honestly, if I were buying a Model-3, I'm probably not going to worry about unfettered access to the Supercharger network. Most of the time, I'll be driving within range of my house anyway, so I would just fill up at home. The few times a year I need to take it on a long trip, I would pay the fee to use the Supercharger.... no biggie. It's still cheaper than gas in the long run, and in that scenario, probably cheaper than paying the unlimited use supercharger fee.
  3. Drew Dowdell
    The high rollers probably spent enough to buy two Model-3s... so why wouldn't it come with? Equus buyers get a "free" iPad. while genesis 3.8 sedan buyers get nothing.
  4. Drew Dowdell
    I think he had to move to this cost model eventually. I bet eventually even the Model S and X will start to have to charge for it too. The problem is one of assholes... people who park their Tesla at a supercharger station all day and clog up the system.
  5. Drew Dowdell
    Both the Sonic and Cruze are good choices. Just make sure you get the 1.4T and not the 1.8
  6. Drew Dowdell
    More my speed
  7. Drew Dowdell
    None of that actually translates to sales. Suzy McRealestateAgent isn't picking a GLC over an XT5 just because the AMG GT is faster than an E63.
  8. Drew Dowdell
    The new format for SSDs is very small... but more importantly, the interface is much faster than any version of SATA. My next laptop will have one of these.
  9. Drew Dowdell
    What is wrong with being the American Buick? Why do they have to be Audi? Oldsmobile was American, didn't try to copy imports, they had the contemporary stealth bomber theme styling, but they gave you a little more performance than a Chevy, a little better ride and handling. That was a good formula, even though that brand is dead. People buy crossovers in droves for roominess, they like comfort, a smooth ride, some interior space, they like the safety of all wheel drive (or perceived safety). Because of Buick's present connection to Germany.
  10. Drew Dowdell
    I've said it before...Buick needs to become the American Audi. FWD based but with AWD available on everything. German premium feelings, but without the pretension of Mercedes and Cadillac.
  11. Drew Dowdell
    With gas prices this low, there is very little point for cars that small.
  12. Drew Dowdell
    I think Balth and I are in agreement. I think one maybe two additional CUVs/SUVs for Cadillac at most... but not a Benz-like 5 or 6. Benz has 6 SUV/CUVs today.. and a 7th since they seem to count the E-Class wagon in their crossovers, with apparently CUV variants waiting in the wings. Cadillac doesn't need that many. I could see an X3 sized competitor and maybe something between XT5 and Escalade... but anything below X3/GLC should be handled (and is handled) by Buick. Cadillac doesn't need to be the next purveyor of fake Louis Vuitton bags like Benz and Audi have become. Cadillac also does not need sales dogs like the GLE Coupe and X6 just to satisfy armchair CEOs with a penchant for comparing every number to Benz. The Cadillac ELR is dead. What Cadillac needs to do now with its car lineup is expand the number of body styles in the existing lines. There needs to be a CTS Coupe and Wagon again. There need to be multiple convertibles. There should be a coupe/convertible CT6. All three of their newest sedans need to be offered in coupe and convertible format... period. We already know the XTS is dead man walking, so I'm not counting that for anything. Next you'll tell me that Cadillac needs a minivan to compete with the Mercedes Benz Metris. Pointless as nothing competes with a Metris. Sure there is... the smaller Ford Transits, the Ram Promaster, the GMC/Chevy work vans, Nissan NV... all in the same price class and similar capability.
  13. Drew Dowdell
    My problem with this move by Buick is that the replacement already exists and is being sold in other countries. It's not like they needed to design a car for just 32k in sales in the US. They'll sell 250k of them a year in China and another 75k in the EU. That's 325k of units alone... taking on another 32k for sale in the US doesn't seem like a big deal. Even if they make them a bit more premium, bump the base price up a bit, and build them in the EU... put the Opel plants to work and use the US plants for other models. And check out what we'll be missing out on... This is the 2016 Opel Astra interior... how could that not compete with the A3?
  14. Drew Dowdell
    I think Balth and I are in agreement. I think one maybe two additional CUVs/SUVs for Cadillac at most... but not a Benz-like 5 or 6. Benz has 6 SUV/CUVs today.. and a 7th since they seem to count the E-Class wagon in their crossovers, with apparently CUV variants waiting in the wings. Cadillac doesn't need that many. I could see an X3 sized competitor and maybe something between XT5 and Escalade... but anything below X3/GLC should be handled (and is handled) by Buick. Cadillac doesn't need to be the next purveyor of fake Louis Vuitton bags like Benz and Audi have become. Cadillac also does not need sales dogs like the GLE Coupe and X6 just to satisfy armchair CEOs with a penchant for comparing every number to Benz. The Cadillac ELR is dead. What Cadillac needs to do now with its car lineup is expand the number of body styles in the existing lines. There needs to be a CTS Coupe and Wagon again. There need to be multiple convertibles. There should be a coupe/convertible CT6. All three of their newest sedans need to be offered in coupe and convertible format... period. We already know the XTS is dead man walking, so I'm not counting that for anything. Next you'll tell me that Cadillac needs a minivan to compete with the Mercedes Benz Metris.
  15. Drew Dowdell
    On the Malibu, if you set the AC to Max, the Start/Stop will be minimized
  16. Drew Dowdell
    No, Cadillac does not. Mercedes does because they have to cover the entire market with a single brand, that's why they've been moving into Buick/GMC (and GMC/Chevy Commercial) territory lately. Cadillac can be more exclusive and selective with their vehicle offerings.
  17. Drew Dowdell
    Which means, they really haven't even started on it.
  18. Drew Dowdell
    You can't see who gave out reputation... so don't assume it is who you think it is. In this case, you got it wrong.
  19. Drew Dowdell
    The very BEST thing that could happen is that manufacturers start competing with existing dealer networks.
  20. Drew Dowdell
    Probably slightly better than the CTS with the same engine, 8-speed, and start/stop. (due to lower overall power) The CTS RWD is 20/30/24.
  21. Drew Dowdell
    That is very good to know. Although I would still appreciate a switch to be able to turn it off. And if the system is as seamless as they make it sound, then I'll never turn it off. It takes about half a day to get used to it.... and that was even on the jittery Benz version.
  22. Drew Dowdell
    It's rather simple.... if McDonalds, Marriott, Apple, etc can have both corporate owned and franchised stores, then so can dealerships. Car dealerships deserve ZERO special accommodation to protect their businesses from competition. I can't think of a single other business that has such archaic laws aside from the liquor laws in some states.
  23. Drew Dowdell
    See that argument falls apart as Tesla can do like everyone else was forced to do and sell dealer franchises like everyone else. That horse left the barn over 100 years ago. It's time to update the rules.
  24. Drew Dowdell
    In the eAssist systems, it's just a giant alternator that can also be a 15 horsepower electric motor, attached to the crank pulley via a thicker than normal serpentine belt. The technical difference is so minor..... it's nothing to worry about. The current start/stop system is just the old eAssist system with a smaller battery and smaller alternator/motor which doesn't assist the engine during acceleration. Given all of GM's other troubles over the past 10 years, the fact that we've heard basically nothing bad about the reliability of eAssist should tell us something. That said... this announcement sounds like a different setup than the eAssist in that it runs through the transmission instead, making it more of a traditional starter.
  25. Drew Dowdell
    Your final point about reducing wear is exactly backwards and out of date. The GM system keeps the oil pressurized, The engine fires nearly instantly with direct injection, and in the case of the BAS system, the regular starter is not used.
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