Drew Dowdell

1 hour ago, David said:

COMPLEXITY, Right, not what the public wants, but some will say Hybrid is better than pure EV. 

I will acknowledge that for some a Hybrid will be better than a pure EV and this will probably be the last Hurrah for the Rotary till we get proper deep solid-state batteries into production.

It's a stop-gap.  It also lets Mazda produce low-medium range EVs with a range extender for those people who want mostly an EV but might have issues with the charging end of things and don't want the range anxiety.  Imagine a Leaf range but with a REV. There's a segment of the EV market that would go for it.

34 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

Sorry but given the nature of Rotary engines (and the high costs of getting those engines serviced), all I can come up with is "why bother?". A two mode set up is already overly complex and now Mazda thinks it's a good idea to make it even more complex? Um, no. Just no.

What two-mode are you referring to?  I think the point here is that technology has progressed significantly since Mazda last went all in on a rotary.  I'm sure materials and design can improve on the old issues.  Additionally, since acting as a REV, the Rotary would be at a far less variable RPM which brings some advantages for durability.

On 2/4/2024 at 12:03 PM, David said:

Interesting movement in Tesla Stock and not a good one.

Tesla Stock Just Made A Death Cross As Market Sentiments Shift (msn.com)

 

 

I don’t know much about stock market signals, but I do know that this is a fairly bad sign

Rotaries are the perfect ICE for EV regenerators.  They are comfortable at the higher rpm that the generators need without causing noise and vibration to the passengers. No one likes a 3-cylinder or 4-cylinder screaming at them at 2,750 rpm, but a rotary at that speed is like nothing.

Plus, they're quite compact so they can fit in smaller vehicles like the Icon SP above or MX-30, or they can fit in something larger like the CX-90.

Lincoln took the wraps off the re-imagined 2025 Lincoln Aviator today. The Aviator re-joined the Lincoln lineup in 2019 after a 14-year absence.

The exterior of the Aviator has received a mild, but handsome freshening, bringing the look, especially in the grille, in line with the upcoming 2025 Lincoln Nautilus.

New available lighting packages use light strips to welcome the owner via a light sequence called Lincoln Embrace as they approach, reversing the sequence as the vehicle is powered off.  The Illumination Package, now standard on the Reserve and Black Label trims includes an illuminated Lincoln Star, adaptive pixel LED headlamps, speed-dependent lighting, adaptive bending lighting, and dynamic signature lighting with LED daytime running lamps.

Two new wheel designs may be chosen. Standard are 20-inch bright machined aluminum wheels with Magnetic-painted pockets, while 2-inch Ebony Black bright machined aluminum wheels with gloss-black painted pockets and center caps are available. Additional wheel personalization is available with the Jet Package, available on each trim with unique designs.

Inside, a reinterpreted version of the popular Black Onyx design theme is now called Lincoln Black Label Invitation and intrigues occupants with handwritten calligraphy and the feel of a crafted black paper invitation. Continuing from last year is the also-popular Lincoln Black Label Flight theme, combining a Luggage Tan and Ebony with a dark engine turn appliqués to inspire memories of early flight instrument panels.

The available 28-speaker Revel Ultima 3D Audio System will continue to envelop each occupant in multidimensional sound while they relax in the available 30-way Perfect Position Front Seats.

New standard features on all 2025 Aviators include:

• BlueCruise hands-free highway driving for four years
• All-New Lincoln Digital Experience
• Lincoln Connected Service for one year
• Lincoln Co-Pilot 360 2.1
• Auto Air Refresh
• Panoramic Vista Roof
• Power, heated steering wheel
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Wireless phone charging
• Phone as a Key
• Adaptive Suspension
• Class III Trailer Package

The new Lincoln Digital Experience infotainment system with Google Assistant and Alex built-in offers a voice-first experience for drivers and passengers alike.  The new system can adjust cabin climate, send texts, tune to a specific radio station, and more, just with voice commands.

The sole powertrain offered in the 2025 Lincoln Aviator is the 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6, delivering 400 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque, the plug-in hybrid Grant Touring was dropped. Lincoln's Air Glide Suspension is available for an even smoother and more comfortable experience. Based on the same rear-wheel drive architecture as the 2025 Ford Explorer, the Aviator is also available with Intelligent Four-Wheel drive.

Pricing starts at $58,495, a $5,155 increase over last year's model.

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15 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

I test drove a 2018 Edge back in 2021. Literally pulled up in the Flex (was checking it out for a friend). No bias here but the Flex is larger in every way, inside and out, and the longer wheelbase does make for a smoother ride. And yes @David, tons of rear seat legroom too. I like my box on wheels lol. 

Different strokes. My sister liked her Edge until she killed it.  She wouldn't have wanted to go larger and ended up downsizing to a current-generation Terrain. Now she thinks the Terrain is the perfect size.

5 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

FYI

Punxsutawney Phil's accuracy rate is only 39%.

Still better than most weather forecasters.

1 hour ago, David said:

The two tesla stations by me are always full, usually a couple Tesla waiting to charge. It will be interesting to see how bad the wait gets once all the OEMs are able to use the Tesla Supercharging network.

This will be a big income stream for Tesla and they are already working on a massive rollout of V4 chargers as it’s the only way to get reasonable charge speeds in the Cybertruck. There have been loads of Superchargers and other network chargers built near me in the last year.

51 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

I would like to add that it is far roomier from shoulder to shoulder when compared to the Edge. 

 Was never in them back to back to notice. 

15 hours ago, daves87rs said:

Looks like more leases for the future, as most folks can barely afford the current prices now. Think this is what the auto companies want, a consistent customer…..

Just like you can't buy software anymore, they want you to subscribe to your vehicle, plus an extra $10 a month to subscribe to your heated seats.

Last May, Ford was the first manufacturer to announce that they entered an agreement with Tesla to allow Ford EVs to charge at Tesla V3 SuperCharger stations and that starting in 2025, they would begin moving their vehicles to the NACS charge port.  For vehicles built in the interim, owners would be provided with an adapter to allow a CCS vehicle to accept a charge from a Tesla station.

Ford has announced that reservations for the adapter will be open soon.  Owners will be able to register their VIN to reserve one adapter per vehicle.  At present, only Ford Mustang Mach-E and Ford F-150 Lightning owners are eligible for the adapters. We don't know where this leaves E-Transit customers, but we have reached out to Ford for comment. NACS to CCS1 adapters aren't yet available on the market, but several are in development. Such adapters going from CCS1 to Tesla typically run $150 - $250.

Ford also plans to continue to expand the BlueOval Charging Network of over 100,000 chargers nationwide.  Ford BlueOval allows charging on multiple charge networks through a single app.

Update: A Ford rep said that there will be a future announcement regarding Supercharger access for Ford E-Transit customers closer to launch. Updated Update: Ford E-Transit gets Enhanced Range and SuperCharger Access

Update 2: Owners may register their VIN to receive their adapter in the Ford Pass app or at ford.com/FastChargingAdapter. Owners are allowed one free adapter per VIN.

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14 hours ago, daves87rs said:

Seen some Blazer EVs floating around the area today…..more than I expected!

Hopefully GM doing more QA testing since they botched the rollout.

1 hour ago, surreal1272 said:

I will have to partially disagree here. The Edge rides okay but I driven several and they are not as comfy a ride as my Flex and it rides on 20” wheels, nevermind the size and cargo capacity difference. 

That's the advantage of a longer wheelbase, better ride.  The Flex was another good one, probably the best of the crossovers on this platform.

5 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

Very nice!

I was able to see the Toronado's hood up.  Which bridge is that - Fort Pitt?

We all pick our therapy.  On her radio talk show, Dr. Ruth would sometimes ask her callers, "Have you tried TERAPY?" Classic.

Yeah, I have the Toronado on the trickle charger.  The bridge is the Birmingham Bridge, connecting the South Side to the Hill District/Oakland.  I had more footage heading up Forbes Ave and you could see the Cathedral of Learning as I approached.

Last week we had some nice weather.

time for some 2-wheel therapy 

@rocketfella

A 60 degree day in January in #Pittsburgh means its time for some 2-wheel therapy. #bmw #bmwmotorrad #motorcycle

♬ Lovefool - The Cardigans

4 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

$42k to start, no thanks.  The old Traverse/Enclave/Acadia with the 3.6 are known to not be reliable, I don't know if this will be any better.  But what I do know is the Highlander and Grand Highlander will be more reliable and either of those or a Telluride or Palisade is a better option than the Chevy/GMC or Ford Explorer for that matter. 

The issues with the current traverse and co are largely around the V6 and timing chains. That’s no longer an issue here with the 2.5T. This engine is just a slightly smaller version of the 2.7T in the Cadillacs and Trucks. It seems to be pretty reliable. 

I know it's been since 2015, but this thread still gets a lot of hits from Google (and Pinterest!??).  I still think it would be neat to have a Thoronado.  I need to win the lottery and do it.

5 minutes ago, David said:

It was a 2017 Explorer against the 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Alex test drove both with the family and we all were not impressed with the interior of the Ford.

Ah, that generation is such an odd duck, but people liked them.  They were solid and pretty reliable, but the seating position is odd and they have an unusually high step up for a unibody crossover.  It was an unusual deal breaker for me that I noticed the first time I got into one.  We had them as fleet vehicles at the last job and it was bad in winter because weather gunk would build up and then you'd get it on your pant leg getting in and out.

Take a look:

Compared to:

2 hours ago, David said:

Will have to take a wait and see approach to this as when my son went SUV shopping in 2017 the Jeep Grand Cherokee won over the Explorer as the interior fit n finish was a huge difference between the too and now with the Jeep issues he ran into, he traded it in on a Kia Telluride. 

Ford Recalls and poor interiors have a wait and see approach to their autos for my household.

Was the 2020+ model or the prior one?  The 2020+ model had really cheapo feeling door plastics.

1 hour ago, David said:

 A Saab Station wagon but could not see the actual model

Bet it started with a 9.

Rather than have a new one of these every month, lets just all pile into this one thread and keep it going.  I'll start with a recent RARE spot I made here in Pittsburgh that has gotten super popular on CheersandGears's Facebook Page.

I spotted this super rare Saab 9-4x running around Pittsburgh the other day.  Built off the same Theta-Premium platform as the 2nd Generation Cadillac SRX, this one seems to be used as a daily driver. It was built in Mexico, and only 814 copies were ever made.

The last few weeks have been awash with reports about huge price increases in the large crossover segment. The 2024 Hyundai Santa will jump over $5,000 on some trims, the 2024 Ford Explorer jumps $4,360, and the sibling to the GMC Acadia, the 2024 Chevrolet Traverse increases, at minimum, $3,580.  So it is no real surprise to see a report today from CarsDirect that the order guide is showing some versions of the 2024 GMC Acadia are going up by over $6,600.

The GMC, like the Hyundai Santa Fe, likely has the best excuse for such a large price increase, it is sizing up as well.  For 2024, the Acadia's wheelbase grows 8.9 inches, overall length grows just over 10 inches, and width and height are both up 4 inches.  It is also equipped with a significantly more powerful 2.5 liter turbo 4-cylinder, replacing the aging 3.6-liter V6 and the overworked 2.0 liter base engine.

While reports are preliminary, the new starting price of $42,600 is an increase of $5,800, pushing the Acadia base price higher than almost every competitor in the mainstream segment. Only the Jeep Grand Cherokee L and Toyota Grand Highlander start higher.

The popular AT4 trim, with its rugged good looks and off-road equipment, will start at $50,000, an increase of $6,600. The full-zoot GMC Acadia Denali will set you back $54,300, a $5,700 mark-up, but to be fair, the Denali has dialed up the luxury interior so much, you may feel the price increase is justified.

Going with the size increase is a significant tech increase as well. The infotainment system sports a vertically oriented 15-inch diagonal screen with Google built-in, an 11-inch digital gauge cluster, and available SuperCruise.

While the GMC Acadia has grown, it has left a gap in the GMC lineup with the next smaller crossover being the compact GMC Terrain. We do expect to see a refreshed GMC Terrain soon following in the tire tracks of the recently released 2025 Chevrolet Equinox, but even with the inevitable price increase for the Terrain, that still leaves a significant gap for GMC to fill.

The 2024 GMC Acadia official pricing is due to be released in the near future.

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I always liked the way the Ford Edge drove, though the 2.0T could have used more oomph for its size. The interior was the let down for me. It hung onto design elements that way back to the first generation from 2007 and it felt dated.

35 minutes ago, Paolino said:

Nice update. The only thing I'm not 100% crazy on is the way the dash swoops down to reveal the rubber tray (I assume also wireless charging) in the center stack.

Yes, that's a spot for the optional wireless phone charger.

Ford unveiled the updated 2025 Ford Explorer today with a simplified engine lineup, trims, and revised exterior and interior.

Ford has cut the number of trim options from eight to four, with just the Platinum, ST, ST-Line, and Active trims available.  All trims except ST come standard with the 300-horsepower 2.3-liter Ecoboost 4-cylinder mated to a recalibrated 10-speed automatic. Available on the Platinum and standard on the ST is the 400-horsepower 3.0-liter Ecoboost V6.  All versions come standard as rear-wheel drive with all-wheel drive optional.  The hybrid option was dropped from civilian Explorers after the 2023 model year.

Outside, the primary visual difference is an enlarged grille, all-LED headlamp and tail lamp clusters, a front skid plate, and an updated tailgate.  Platinum, ST, and ST-Line buyers can select a black-painted roof option. Each trim line will receive a distinct grille.

Most of the changes in the 2025 Explorer appear on the inside.  A reimagined interior has more soft material in high-touch locations.  The large vertically oriented infotainment screen in some 2020-2024 models has been replaced with a more traditional, horizontally mounted unit. The dashboard has been pushed forward to give front-row occupants a more open and spacious cabin.

The 2025 Explorer also debuts Ford's new Ford Digital Experience infotainment system.  This 5G-enabled system features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, plus has the ability to download select apps from the Google Play Store. Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa are built-in and designed to prioritize voice control over in-vehicle controls such as cabin temperature and entertainment selection. It can also control home automation systems.  This new platform allows for over-the-air updates for the first time in Explorer.

When parked, Explorer customers can also use YouTube and Prime Video, as well as play select games available on the Google Play store. Surfing the web on the built-in Vivaldi browser app, or Google Chrome coming soon, is made easier with a Bluetooth-connected keyboard.

Buyers of ST-Line, ST, and Platinum trim Explorers come equipped with Ford's BlueCruise hardware, enabling hands-free highway driving. Lane Change Assist is included, allowing the driver to pass with the tap of the turn signal when the path is clear.  New customers can activate their plan for one year at purchase or select a 90-day free trial.

Following the trend of large price jumps in the large crossover market this year (see: 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe and 2024 Chevrolet Traverse), the base price of the 2024 Explorer jumps to $41,220, a $4,360 increase over the current model.

The 2025 Ford Explorer will be in dealerships in the 2nd quarter this year.

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11 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

The other thing is the engine.

People used to say a 350 V8 should last this long, a 3800 V6 should last this long, and the 1.8 and 2.5 in past Corollas and Camrys, respectively,  should last this long ...

If I'm not mistaken, the 1.5 T was released around 2017, for the refreshed Malibu.  I don't know what longevity this engine can attain. I  haven't heard any numbers tossed out.  How many miles have any of these units racked up and have they had any mechanical quirks?

The first year the 1.5T was out it was burning up cylinder heads in the Malibu and Equinox, sometimes requiring complete engine replacement.  GM addressed the issue pretty quickly and I think it's been put to bed.  Other than that, they are just as needy about on-time oil changes as any small displacement turbo trying to move 3800lbs vehicles, but seem fairly reliable.