Drew Dowdell

There's actually a thing you can plug into the OBD port and shut off AFM without reprogramming the ECU. Range Technology Active Fuel Management Disable Device I don't know what he's fussing about though, its there to save him money. It switches back to V8 mode with a flick of the foot. The only way I ever even know that it is 4-cylinder mode is if I have the DIC set to monitor fuel economy and I'm watching the gauge. It's absolutely imperceptible to me in the Suburban/Tahoe at least. Edit: It's not like it turns into a Civic with a fart can in 4-cylinder mode.... it only happens at a steady cruise when you're not on the gas.

The Regal is still a big seller in China, there is still the Opel/Holden/Vauxhall Insignia (Though for Holden, only sold in GS form). They sold 20k of them in the US up to end of November, 75k Insignias in Europe up till end of October, and 91k Regals in China up till end of November. That's 186k so far this year in just those markets, and I'm missing 4 months of data (December in all three markets, and November for Europe), meaning that total sales of Regal/Insignia are going to be over 200k this year. I don't think the Regal sedan is going anywhere. I do think they will bring the body style variants to other markets. What they probably need to do is move US Regal production back to Europe or over to China so they can consolidate production into two plants instead of three. I could see that happening after Envision breaks the China ice.

I never care about horsepower. Horsepower is just a measurement of torque at a specific RPM and obfuscates the details .... so skip the middle man and give me the torque.

I forgot nothing. I posted the equations. If your Fusion scrubs 5 horsepower while keeping the same max torque, then the torque curve starts to drop off a bit sooner in the RPM band than normal.... as I explained in my post.

You are forgetting that horsepower is a meaningless marketing term.

I'm thinking more like 80/20. If they are seeking more interior room.. and the Omega platform is scalable.. they will go that way. In terms of exterior, but for the sake of the comparos.. say for the ATS/CTS...they need to be on par, if not exactly where the 3series is on the inside dimensions. and I mean EXACT or at least larger. Of course with the clowns that normally review these cars.. the ATS/CTS could stretch that interior out an extra inch larger than the 3/5Series, and suddenly the reviewers would then say that the car is so large there's an echo. All jokes aside.. I think the intent is for the CT4 (ATS) and CT5 (CTS I guess) will get interior dimensions enlarged via the ATS moving up to the CTS's current WB, and the CTS moving into the Omega platform. Similar to what BMW does with the 7, 6, and 5 all being on the same platform I just think they have to use the Alpha platform for the current cars for a bit longer. At least one big MCE before it switches to the new platform, but that means 6 to 7 years from now.

Lawd have mercy! I would so rock that car!

I think there is a 50/50 chance of the CTS going to Omega the next time around. They may need to for additional weight loss.

Indeed it is... It was the next closest competition to the Encore when we were shopping and I just couldn't sell it to Albert. He likes his lux.

I got the disdain for small cars, and my love for the big boats much in the same way. Grew up in my parent's Fiats, Subaru GL Wagon, VW Wagon, and Colt Vista wagon while admiring my Grandmother's Custom Cruiser .... power windows and air conditioning yo!

One could go out on a limb and THINK that the boys at Buick could add the 2.0LTurbo to the Lacrosse line-up if a Park Ave shows up. Its a foregone conclusion that an Omega based PA will show up. At that time, the Lacrosse would systematically lose its status as the top Buick. U are aware that at Cadillac currently.. the XTS starts out with a standard 3.6L with 304 hp 264 lb-ft of torque? The CT6 will start out with a base 2.0L Turbo with Automatic Stop/Start BTEW.. anyone else find it curious that Cadillac has this on their website pertaining to the 2.0Lturbo? (TBD - SAE certification pending) It does not state that the 2.0L has 268HP 295lb of torque.. which makes me wonder what they are up to. Can add the 2.0T? They would have to have built it that way in the first place for China. The only change would be needed is in the order book for US dealerships.

You haven't driven my Toronado.... Hmmm... let me amend that. It can be fun to drive a slow nimble car fast. The front bumper on an '81 Toronado prolly weighs 2200 pounds. Cappy that's not too bad for fuel mileage there. I forget what I was getting in my '11 Fiesta SE 1.6 manual. There is a thread buried in the annals here somewhere about it. Hey now... the whole car still weighs less than a new Lacrosse V6 AWD..... but lord, would it have hurt them to put on roll bars that weren't made of over-boiled spaghetti!?

You haven't driven my Toronado....

Either Paul doesn't know how horsepower is calculated (doubtful) or he is lying about something... either directly or through omission. Horsepower = (Torque * RPM) / 5252 Torque = (Horsepower * 5252) / RPM If horsepower has changed, then the torque curve has changed. Period. There is no getting around that. The peak may still be 320 lb-ft, but then that would mean the engine backs off the torque peak earlier in the RPM band. <Speculation) So instead of 320 lb-ft from 2000 rpm - 5500 rpm, the engine only produces that torque from 2000 RPM to 4000rpm </Speculation> There are far too many variable for me to make an educated guess as to the actual numbers, but I believe my basic premise is correct. Someone needs to put one on a dyno and test the difference. Edit: and while Paul may object to the numbers, the proof of the phenomenon happening is right there on Ford's and Lincoln's websites. Just look at the difference between the Lincoln Navigator and the Ford Expedition. One is rated with Premium and the other rated with Regular.

Not a bad little bug!

Your snipe wasn't at anyone in particular, and it was largely not factual. If you stick with facts, you can't go wrong here. I didn't edit your post or warn you... I simply corrected your false statement. Indeed, it probably will, I expect it should hit the 30mpg highway mark pretty easily. I did not make a false statement. I simply mentioned weight reduction. And my snipe was at a GM product, although not nearly in proportion to the plethora of Ford snipes. There is only "a plethora" of Ford snipes because you insist on perceiving any comment on a Ford product that isn't heaping praise on Ford to be a snipe. The fact remains that Ford made promises it couldn't keep. It promised that Ecoboost would be much more powerful and much more fuel efficient than a V8.... and so far it's only true if you ignore V8s not made by Ford. Even the heavy Ram Laramie Limited Hemi manages 21mpg highway, which is only 1mpg behind the comparable 3.5 Ecoboost. Ford made promises on this, and when the product was delivered, a bunch of us who aren't on Ford's payroll asked "Where's the beef?!". That isn't a snipe... it's asking for the results which were promised. As for your snipe: 1. GM didn't spend multiple billions to retool their plants to build the Alpha cars out of a different material. 2. The weight loss is remarkable when you consider the Alpha cars are still mostly steel. 3. No one claimed the Alpha cars were a feat of engineering. Omega, certainly moves things forward, but Alpha is just using stronger steel and less of it.

All of that is true, but for the budget minded consumer, the extra tech doesn't really matter as much. Both cars will control your phone when you talk to them and play your phone playlists, that is about the extent of buyer's tech demands in this segment. The one tech advantage the Chevy has is Apple Car Play and Android Auto, meaning they can have NAV in their car's infotainment screen. Still, I'd like for at least the option of more power/torque in the Spark, and I'd sooner go with a CPO Cruze or Sonic than a new Spark.

The Fiesta with either engine is probably a better overall package for a similar price.... less likely to run out of steam when getting on the highway. I've driven the 1.0 Ecoboost and it's fantastic in that car...... that's why I was wishing for some similar option in the Chevy. The prior Spark was simply a city runabout, not something you'd ever want to take on the highway for a long trip. Things really get complicated if you also consider the Chevy Sonic. It is slightly bigger than the Fiesta, but feels like a more substantial car in the way it drives. The Sonic 1.4T gets better fuel economy than the Fiesta 1.6, but it also costs more and there is still the Fiesta 1.0T which is even better fuel economy than the Sonic. It's one of those areas where it really comes down to your budget and how you will use the car. If you're a long distance driver like myself, the Sonic is probably most comfortable on the highway while the Fiesta 1.0T is the most fuel efficient and cheaper to buy. If you're a city dweller, the Fiesta would probably be my pick for the trim size plus better base engine over the Spark. There's really no situation where I would pick the Spark over the other alternatives I've mentioned... I'd rather go used.

For me, it comes down to looks, performance a close second. Prior to the GM '16s coming out, my favorite looking truck was the Ram. I've been a fan of the Hemi engine for many years, it's kinda my "ol' reliable". In any FCA vehicle I drive, if it's got a Hemi, I'm happy. In the performance department, it simply has to be sufficient for my needs. I don't care so much about 2 tenths here or there, I'm not drag racing my truck. The most I'll ever be towing is my Toronado on a car carrier and even a V6 Durango can do that, so the extreme level of towing isn't on my list of needs. Where performance matters most is in my driving style. I'm a conservative, long distance driver. I want a smooth engine, efficient performance, and sufficient power to haul the trailer over the mountains. My truck/SUV (rented, currently) is a mobile office and work vehicle for me, so a column or rotary shifter is a nice thing to have and I love the huge deep center console in the GMs. So for me at the moment, the 2016 GMC Sierra SLT Crew Cab Short Bed 4x4 with the 5.3 and tow package is the top of my list, the Silverado of the same config (only in Z71 trim, I don't like the Chevy chrome) is second. I've already been given permission from the other half to buy it, I'm just waiting till some other things are in place first and that will take a few months.

I was really hoping for a bit more engine in this.... something with turbo and DI. I realize these are built to a price... but at least the option would be nice.

Your snipe wasn't at anyone in particular, and it was largely not factual. If you stick with facts, you can't go wrong here. I didn't edit your post or warn you... I simply corrected your false statement. Indeed, it probably will, I expect it should hit the 30mpg highway mark pretty easily.

The body in white weight matters of course, but it matters a lot less when you lard up the rest of the car. It was a major part of the ATS project to shave weight on everything, not just the body.

Good that you can be clear, since the Cadillac and Camaro actually have the numbers to back them up. The ATS is the lightest in its class by a large margin.... as is the CTS. The CT6 weighs as little as cars two classes below it... it's 740i sized and 335i weight. All the F-150 did was beat the existing lightweight by 81 lbs. I'm a simple guy... just show me the numbers. And they all have substantial performance gains to show for it, especially the Camaro. Base SS and base GT V8 are within 35lbs of each other, and one is smaller than the other? So not exactly revolutionary reductions. The only aluminum changes in the Camaro are the suspension components and some interior beams. It is still a steel body car... as is the ATS (mostly) and CTS (just the hood and doors are aluminum). So you can't really point to either of those two with your earlier attempt to snipe. The most dramatic gains were in the CT6 with their new mix materials process which produces a 740i sized car at a 335i weight.

Good that you can be clear, since the Cadillac and Camaro actually have the numbers to back them up. The ATS is the lightest in its class by a large margin.... as is the CTS. The CT6 weighs as little as cars two classes below it... it's 740i sized and 335i weight. All the F-150 did was beat the existing lightweight by 81 lbs. I'm a simple guy... just show me the numbers.

It just dawned on me. The Lincoln MKZ is the preview of what is to come. It makes 400 lb-ft... so the quick and dirty calculation is torque divided by displacement means 133 lb-ft per liter. In a 3.5 liter, that means 466 lb-ft. Now, I know that isn't a scientific way of doing things, and increasing displacement has diminishing returns. So we'll say that it will match the 6.2 liter's 460 lb-ft. But there's that darn asterisk..... the MKZ only gets 400 lb-ft if it is running 93 octane. If it loses torque on 87 octane at the same percentage that the Mustang does, you're looking at 435 lb-ft from a new gen 3.5 Ecoboost. Or basically, nearly right back where it started from with only a 15 lb-ft increase over the outgoing model.