Drew Dowdell

Uber Black requires commercial insurance and possibly a taxi medallion depending on location. Get a 3 row crossover from a luxury brand and you can drive UberX, UberXL, and Uber Select... All without the commercial insurance requirements. XL and Select charge higher rates.

Size. A lot of people feel that full size trucks are too big to wheel around. It's a big reason I have a hard time selling a full size at home no matter how much I may want one. My other half just won't drive something that big.

The fact that AWD is standard isn't mentioned except on one small bullet point on an obscure page. The premium groups as the only option packages available, along with AWD standard, give an indicator of expected price. I think most people assumed it would have a low point of entry with cloth seats and FWD. It is news that it won't be like that.

Or why buy a new instead of CPO S-Class when I would lose an entire E-Class in the process?

I think it's a good move because it by default moves Buick northward in status. I expect base price to be right around the same as the 2.0T/AWD MKC, which is about $35k out the door.

Buick will be unveiling the 2016 Buick Envision on Sunday at a preview event before the 2016 Detroit Auto Show. One piece of information we dug up is on the drive configuration. According to the VIN card for 2017, the U.S. market Envision will only be available in All-Wheel Drive while we already know that Chinese market vehicles can be configured with just front-wheel drive. Knowing that VIN cards can change as products are finalized, I e-mailed a Buick rep to confirm. He got back to me quickly, confirming that yes, the Envision will be available in only two trim lines, Premium Group 1 and Premium Group 2, both only available in All-Wheel drive. Looking at other Buick models, the Premium Groups are the top of the line, coming standard with leather and lots of luxury features. The 2015 Buick Lacrosse with the Premium Group 1 package is a $7,134 upgrade over the base model. An Enclave with Premium Group is an $8,450 upgrade over base. While pricing hasn't been announced yet, with only Premium Group models available, expect the Envision entry price to be a significant jump in base price over the smaller base Encore. Part of the reason for the limited options groups is that Buick is only expecting to import about 60,000 Envisions per year from China. With most other Buick models skewing heavily towards the upper end of their respective ranges, it makes sense for Buick to send only the best equipped models. Back to the power train, the Envision will be available only with a 2.0 liter, direct injected turbo 4-cylinder which produces 260 lb-ft of torque over a broad RPM range and 252 horsepower fed through GM's standard issue 6-speed auto. The AWD system will be the same as in the coming 2017 Buick LaCrosse. It is a dual-clutch system that can transfer power from side-to-side in the rear wheels and Buick promises to be as fast acting as it is efficient. Also standard GM's HiPer Strut front suspension which when combined with the AWD means there is no torque steer. We will have more Buick Envision information for you as we get closer to its official unveiling on January 10th. In the meantime, you can follow all 2016 Detroit Auto Show news here. View full article

The Wikipedia page for HCCI is quite detailed and informative.

I think Hyundai has been working on this for a few years at this point. No clue where/how the progress is at this point though. I just remember reading something on it quite awhile ago and I thought the idea was awesome. Definitely make diesels irrelevant in passenger vehicles. I don't know what kind of energy difference there is between a given amount of diesel vs gasoline but if you can get diesel efficiency with gasoline prices, we're talking monster jump in the industry. Well, it's not not going to go into HD trucks, it doesn't have the torque. Overall, the power characteristics of the engine don't change, because anything above light throttle and it switches back to being a conventional engine. The only advantage is in fuel savings during light load times.... You'd get fantastic highway fuel economy, but city would be the same as any other conventional gasoline engine of the same size and features since that's when you're into the throttle most often.

I'm not sure I follow... I can still yell at the guy over the phone while he is saying "I'm downloading the update to your car now sir". And then all other Teslas get the same update. It's fantastic. They did the same thing when people started hitting large steel bolts, they sent an update to all cars to raise the adjustable suspension a bit until the underbody shields could be installed.

The advantage Tesla has is they can send a software update to the cars to fix the brake issue. Honda or DeLorean can't do that.

Indeed.... the key is that an HCCI engine cannot run in that mode all the time. It only runs in HCCI mode under light loads... put too much fuel/air mixture into the cylinder and then things don't work right. The big issue GM was having when it was working on it back in the Saturn days was the transition from HCCI to normal spark ignition. The engine worked fine in either mode, but it was the switching of modes that was less than graceful. Even then, I think that Aura would only run in HCCI at stead speed from 35 - 55 mph, but don't quote me on that.

Do you know how many curse words I invent when I have to do an oil change on my CR-V? It is an utter mess with oil dripping on everything. It gets on the CV joint, it gets on the lower control arm, it gets on the exhaust, it gets on me. the Amateur you're talking about is Honda right? I mean, only a newbie would design an oil filter mount in a spot where any (and I do mean any) leak would drip right onto the exhaust manifold output. For added benefit, it also manages to leak onto the CV boot while you're doing an oil change. Ask me how I know. It was to lube up your.. CV boot... Every X thousand miles you get 1/4 of your suspension lubed up. It's actually a great idea. lol No I think he may have been talking about Porsche's being amateurs.. They don't even know how to build an ICE without the car burning to a crips! I don't know which has been around longer regenerative braking or the internal combustion engine but one of them has been around a long time. Porsche should never sell cars again if they can't build 1 measly engine without it burning to the ground.. "amateurs building cars" ... (the puke guy is just funny to me) The puke guy is the reason we had to enforce a limit on the number of emoticons in a single post a few years back. Imagine dozens and dozens of puke guys on your screen all puking in unison.

Those are on the book profits. Being able to sell 90k Regals in China means being able to sell 30k Regals in the US and 75k Insignias in the EU. It gives the auto makers volume they otherwise wouldn't have. Buick in particular.

the Amateur you're talking about is Honda right? I mean, only a newbie would design an oil filter mount in a spot where any (and I do mean any) leak would drip right onto the exhaust manifold output. For added benefit, it also manages to leak onto the CV boot while you're doing an oil change. Ask me how I know.

The very latest generation of Mazdas have fantastic FANTASTIC interiors. The CX-3 far far exceeds it's class and would put an Audi Q3 to shame. Easily best in class. I sat in the new CX-9 in LA and it is every bit as good as these press photos suggest. Drew, is that nav screen move up and down into the dash? Looks like it could. Don't know. I tweeted the Mazda PR guy to ask.

And yet, you're still losing more in absolute dollars. Again, the XTS could devalue to ZERO and you would still lose less money than 2 years in an S-Class. Here is a 2013 S550 4matic with night vision and surround view. It was probably around $115k new and it is being offered for $62,995 used... which means the buyout was in the high to mid-$50k range. It's only got 22k miles and is certified, so it's a screaming deal against a brand new S-Class. But that also means that some combined group of people (buyer, dealer, MB Finance) ate about $57k in depreciation over 2 years.... will a 2 year old $57k CTS V6 with 22,000 miles be worth more than zero dollars you think?

They don't feel slow because they pull hard. Off the line is fast.

The very latest generation of Mazdas have fantastic FANTASTIC interiors. The CX-3 far far exceeds it's class and would put an Audi Q3 to shame. Easily best in class. I sat in the new CX-9 in LA and it is every bit as good as these press photos suggest.

*sigh* Always the bridesmaid....

Does Mazda even want a V6 anymore though? If they are the most efficient lineup, like Drew said, then they're probably content with a family of 4's. They'd probably prefer to boost a 4 banger rather than throw in a heavier V6 because they put so much emphasis on driving dynamics. Afterthought: I completely forgot about the CX-9. To me, that would be the only application for a V6 in their lineup. Everything else can be done with an I4, boost or n/a. The CX-9 is getting a boosted 2.5 liter 4-cylinder with 250 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. No need for a Pentastar. Well, there ya go then! lol Also, How large is the CX-9? Is it Explorer side? or more like an Edge? It's a 3-row SUV, right? So I assume it's larger, more Explorer-like. Per their web site, CX-9 has a wheel base of 113.2" with an over all length of 200.6" then a width of 76.2" and height of 68" and ground clearance of 6" Ford Explorer has a wheel base of 112.8" and an over all length of 198.3" then a width of 78.9" and height of 71.0" and ground clearance of 7.8" That's the current one.

Does this not come back to bite a company in the books when they have to take the hit or write off? I'm sure they still make a profit on the cars. But keeping the prices high gives the appearance of being expensive. SMK: "Oh, I just leased a new S-Class, it cost $118k"... Me:"Yeah, but you're only paying $1,500 a month for 24 months with $7k down on a car worth $55k when the lease is up, you didn't really pay for a $118k car".... SMK: "But I have an S-Class" ..... me: "Whatever makes you happy" In the luxury classes, things that are priced expensive are just profit centers, they don't usually cost the manufacturer anywhere near what they charge. The S-Class Sport Package is priced at $5,900... but there is no way it costs MB anywhere close to that for a different front plastic bumper and an upgrade from 19"s to 20"s.

Does Mazda even want a V6 anymore though? If they are the most efficient lineup, like Drew said, then they're probably content with a family of 4's. They'd probably prefer to boost a 4 banger rather than throw in a heavier V6 because they put so much emphasis on driving dynamics. Afterthought: I completely forgot about the CX-9. To me, that would be the only application for a V6 in their lineup. Everything else can be done with an I4, boost or n/a. The CX-9 is getting a boosted 2.5 liter 4-cylinder with 250 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. No need for a Pentastar. Well, there ya go then! lol Also, How large is the CX-9? Is it Explorer side? or more like an Edge? It's a 3-row SUV, right? So I assume it's larger, more Explorer-like. Between Edge and Explorer in length, but narrower. Yes it's a 3-row, but I think the 3rd row is rather tight. The advantage of building the platform to only use 4-cylinder engines is that the engine cradle can be smaller and lighter. Making the decision early on to say "no V6 ever" allows them to save weight. They say that the platform itself dropped 287 lbs, but I don't know if that includes the switch from a 3.7 liter V6 to a Turbo-4 or not. If that weight loss is just in the structure, then total weight loss should be over 300lbs, putting it under 4,000 lbs in FWD form. That's a good bit of torque, and at a low RPM, for a CUV under 4k lbs. It should move along smartly.

Not crappy, just not as much excitement as Detroit, NYC, or LA. But still one of the nicest facilities. I guess I have to burst your bubble on this next point. All of the auto shows in the US, even the big 4, are run by the dealership associations. That's why they feel like a new car dealer showroom. The only thing unique about the big 4 is their size and fact that new cars get the sheet pulled off them there. Once in a very rare while, a manufacturer will show something "new" at a show that isn't the big 4. Last year Chevy did the debut of the Colorado Trail Boss at the Cleveland Auto Show and Ram did a presentation (but not a debut) of the Ram Rebel.

Buying an S-Class (but most lease anyway), you lose an entire E-Class in depreciation in the first two years. Even if a brand new Lincoln Continental had 100% depreciation in 2 years, you'd still lose less money. But that's why nearly all S-Classes are leased. MB eats the depreciation with relatively cheap leases compared to the price of the car. It's a back end subsidy that lets transaction prices look much higher.