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Drew Dowdell

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Everything posted by Drew Dowdell

  1. 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.
  2. 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    Your final point about reducing wear is exactly backwards and out of date.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.
  3. Drew Dowdell
    interested in trying out the new system... the existing one is very smooth
  4. Drew Dowdell
    Cadillac has 3 halo products. Escalade, CTS-V, and ATS-V.
  5. Drew Dowdell
    That argument falls apart though in that there are no independent Tesla dealerships for Tesla Corporate to compete with. I can somewhat see the argument against GM owned stores when there are lots of GM independent dealers out there... But that's not the case with Tesla.
  6. Drew Dowdell
    The answer is simple. People like you who are badge snobs. For the price, people would rather buy a Mercedes-Pretendz CLA than a equal price ATS with more equipment and better performance. The ATS is clearly the superior car, but people like you have convinced the sheep that they have to get the Pretendz in order to show that they've "made it".
  7. Drew Dowdell
    Heartily disagree on the Q50 interior. I'd put it second to last place in the segment being beaten for worst only by Acura (TLX, Rlx, or ILX , take your pick, doesn't matter)
  8. Drew Dowdell
    Olds, you're both right and wrong. The CTS, while not at the level of the germans on interior design, put Cadillac back on the performance map. It gave Cadillac the platform to hone its skills on leading into the second gen CTS on the same platform that became a German killer on the track.
  9. Drew Dowdell
    The Camry is the best selling mid size... That doesn't make it the best mid size... It just means that people have habits that are hard to break. And it's biased, agenda driven people like you who bash Cadillac constantly over non-issues that perpetuate the stigma against the brand. No, the Q is not better than the ATS... Not by a long shot
  10. Drew Dowdell
    Cadillac makes great cars now, but you can't see with the 3-pointed stars in your eyes.
  11. Drew Dowdell
    You mean that annoying chime that most people just shut off anyway....? We're not talking about something that hits the brakes for you... just the chime that tells you you're about to hit..... But when it comes to the actual impact... Once you've hit, you're actually better off in the Camaro. Yet the mustang is somehow better because it can tell you you're about to hit. The only time you're better in a Mustang is if you flip the car over..... Just goes to show you how poorly weighted this comparison is when the optional annoying chime that can easily be disabled by the driver trumps actual impact performance.
  12. Drew Dowdell
    You don't buy an ATS or 3-series or A4 to be your friends' free Uber driver. If you plan on taking bunches of friends out regularly on long trips, either pony up for a mid-size luxury or step down to a "family" car/SUV. These are personal luxury cars.
  13. Drew Dowdell
    Note to Serg: Don't piss off German regulators.... it will not end well.
  14. Drew Dowdell
    I applaud Tesla for continuing to challenge this outmoded business model
  15. Drew Dowdell
    So what's your opinion on the problem factors plaguing the Audi A4? Is it marketing / image problems there also? It was in the final year of it's model cycle last year. They sold 34,000 of them in 2014 and 37,000 of them in 2013. When it was fresher it sold better, but that car was under powered the past few years, the base car now has a 252 hp turbo. Better interior and more power always help. I think Audi reliability issues hurt that car also, and Audi styling looks a bit too like a VW and hasn't changed much recently, I think it is a bit boring. I didn't include the A5, but they sell about 15,000 of those per year, which is about what the Lexus RC sells. If you tack 15,000 units to the A5 and IS for their coupe counterparts, their numbers look pretty good. I think A4 loses sales to A3 also, because they are more similar than a CLA and C-class are for example. The new A4 looks like a Passat with an Audi grille.
  16. Drew Dowdell
  17. Drew Dowdell
    ATS was designed to be the lightest car in the class, the whole "every gram matters" philosophy they talked about. But some other guys got lighter, or got roomier and bigger while not adding any weight, and most of the ATS weight advantage in 2013 was in comparing an NA 4 cylinder ATS to a turbo 4 BMW and a V6 Mercedes. Low weight is nice, it isn't the way to win buyers. If it drives like a tin can, or has no interior space, or a cheap interior, no one will care what it weighs. The ATS was the first car to go through weight reductions, they've been continuing with weight reductions since then. That's why a CT6 4-cylinder can weigh less than the ATS 2.0 AWD.
  18. Drew Dowdell
    Even if its a $100M issue... the penalty if they didn't act fast would be much higher. Nonetheless, the Lambdas are MINTS. Being around since 2007 pretty much unchanged, and still selling like hotcakes has its rewards. In truth.. I see zero reason why GM would abandon the platform. They simply should pull a "Toyota Corolla/Camy" and keep it going for another decade with a few updates to the inside. This is one platform where driving dynamics mean zero The program to replace them is already well under way. The big thing is weight. I'm hoping that the weight loss the Acadia got translates well into the larger Traverse and Enclave once they are released. One of the reasons they get such terrible mileage in the first place (even the overstated MPG stickers weren't great) is due to the fact they weigh so much and the 3.6 has to work hard all the time to moved these beasts around. They could really do well with a smaller displacement V6 with a turbo tuned for torque rather than horsepower to get the low end grunt needed to move the mass. My experience with the Lambda fuel economy over the years seems to have been validated with this story though.... I've always struggled to get even close to the sticker rating on the highway and in the Suburban/Tahoe I have always beaten the Lambdas in that regard.
  19. Drew Dowdell
    Especially when they're building the next gen... they're just not going to sell it here. Why wouldn't you want to sell an extra 40,000 copies of something you're already building?
  20. Drew Dowdell
    That's the same weight as a 328xDrive..... what's your point?
  21. Drew Dowdell
    The Chinese seem to have done great things for volvo. The best thing they can do is fire Sergio on day Zero.
  22. Drew Dowdell
    Happen to have a friend from Germany staying with me this week, so in spite of my own experience on the Autobahn, I deferred to him... here's what he said: Me: What do you think is typical speeds on the free zones of the Autobahn? Him: As fast as you want to go.... Me: Well, the German government is mad at Opel for cars where the emissions system shuts off over 145 kph.... do you think people typically drive over that speed? Him: I'd drive that speed even if the speed limit is 120kph. His car is a 2005 VW Golf Plus Gives some perspective as to what the people with even more powerful cars will do.
  23. Drew Dowdell
    While I do agree with you, what is the reason people should take the extended warranty if purchased instead of the debit card? I know from elsewhere that leased customers will only receive the debit card. They have some unresolved engine issues that can be very costly to repair. GM's response has been to shorten the oil change interval, but that doesn't really address the issue... It just pushes it out passed the warranty period.
  24. Drew Dowdell
    Genesis is going to be a force to be reckoned with I think
  25. Drew Dowdell
    If you're driving a Lambda and you own it.... take the extended warranty.
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