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Drew Dowdell

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Everything posted by Drew Dowdell

  1. Drew Dowdell
    I would venture that on top of all of the discounting, that most S-Classes are leased on their first transaction out the door and that the lease payments are deducted from someone's taxes somewhere. When you discount a lot off MSRP yet keep the lease buyout price the same, the lease payment magically gets a lot lower.
  2. Drew Dowdell
    Cadillac has a sub-ATS car... it's called the Verano and it's found at Buick dealerships.
  3. Drew Dowdell
    As much as you like to deny it, every time some soccermom spends $40k on an SRX, that is $40k not spend on an equivalent X3. The two do compete.... and the Cadillac wins in sales most of the time. Agreed that they bought something else, so it is a lost potential customer. But it is sort of like if someone buys an Avalon or Impala instead of an Audi A3, they cost the same, but are different in character. Crossover buyers mostly want generic and fwd, that is why the Rav4 and CR-V sell so well. The SRX is Cadillac's best seller because it capitalizes on what crossover buyers want. The Germans are more into cars, and a midsize SUV from them is $10-15,000 more than what it costs at Lincoln, Lexus or Cadillac, for the typical crossover buyer they don't care about driving dynamics or engineering, so the Lexus RX on the Camry platform is perfect for them. The difference between an Avalon and an A3 is huge. The difference between an X3/GLK/Q5 and an SRX is petty.... they have the same amount of passenger room. Cargo room on the Cadillac and BMW is the same (cargo room on the GLK is 2.3 cubic ft less than my Encore?!? wtf?), they offer the same features and the approximately the same starting prices. The Cadillac, BMW, and Q5 even all have a 110 inch wheelbase. The ONLY petty different that you latch on to is that the SRX is bigger on the outside than the Germans and that it is FWD based (as is the Audi). Nearly every review out there praises the SRX's handling abilities and there is no clear distinction that the Germans offer something better in that regard. It's clear that the market doesn't agree with your petty distinction...
  4. Drew Dowdell
    At that mpg... something is wrong.
  5. Drew Dowdell
    There are a bunch of things i wonder why GM doesn't build..... a hot hatch is pretty low on that list.
  6. Drew Dowdell
    I wonder if it is something that gearing could fix.
  7. Drew Dowdell
    As much as you like to deny it, every time some soccermom spends $40k on an SRX, that is $40k not spent on an equivalent X3. The two do compete.... and the Cadillac wins in sales most of the time.
  8. Drew Dowdell
    Oh, so original body Taurus, not the fish-eye. Tractor engines basically. Ford's equivalent of the 3800 minus the power. Keep the oil changed and they'll be fine for quite a while. The transmission will go before the engine does. Probably the fatal item for most of the ones that have been taken off the road thus far.
  9. Drew Dowdell
    That was the exact reasoning behind my buying my '81 Oldsmobile instead of making payments on a new car.
  10. Drew Dowdell
    That must have been beating on the CTS-V then.
  11. Drew Dowdell
    Maybe overstated, but they have to be in a world of hurt with the vast # of recalls...that has to be damaging to their public perception. ... apparently not... every survey so far seems to say that customers trust that GM is doing the right thing... .and sales haven't been hurting. BTW, I saw an article the other day... the VOLT is the only GM car currently being built that has not been recalled in these large batches of recalls.... but some of them are clearly the GM cleaning house. Our Buick was recalled for a possibly improperly mounted seat rail....and that was the only issue.... no big deal.
  12. Drew Dowdell
    That could be an interesting response to CAFE.... as we've been discussing in the Hellcat thread. Push the wheels more forward to give the car more wheelbase.
  13. Drew Dowdell
    It's not so simple as that. The CAFE requirements were changed. A vehicle with a larger footprint (wheelbase X average wheel track) has a lower requirement. This is actually good for those who prefer the look of RWD cars since they tend to have longer wheelbases as a ratio to overall length and thus gives RWD cars an advantage for CAFE ratings. Also, the EPA sticker doesn't mean anything for CAFE compliance. And EPA combine rating of 25mpg equates to 33mpg in CAFE.. (don't ask me how.... I don't get it either).
  14. Drew Dowdell
    They are doing it with 8-speed and 9-speed pentastars. The CAFE fuel economy rating is much higher than what the window sticker shows. What they really need is a new line of fuel efficient (and better refined) 4-cylinders. That would help out tremendously.
  15. Drew Dowdell
    Sales continue to grow for them.
  16. Drew Dowdell
    Struggling to survive?
  17. Drew Dowdell
    On the 96 Taurus, the non-DOHC engines are slow, but as reliable as any 3800. The DOHC engines are fairly trouble free, but not to the extent of the pushrod. Sniff the transmission fluid. If purchased, take for an immediate transmission fluid flush and filter change just to be safe. There is a reason Ford paid GM to develop the fwd 6-speed for them later.
  18. Drew Dowdell
    Its that time again I was trying to find a clip from the movie Clue... It's towards the end of the movie when they are running around following Wadsworth as he explains how it was done.... Wadsworth and the cast are in the kitchen. Wadsworth yells "and one of us sneaks back down the secret passage to the study!" Mrs. Peacock lets out an annoyed "Again?..." Wadsworth "Of course!"
  19. Drew Dowdell
    The XTS can be very athletic.... in fact, it probably rides a lot firmer than the E-Class. The SRX regularly beats the GLK and X3 which are in the same size and price class in sales. The 3 Series outsells the ATS really 3:1. As explained to death, look at the available number of 3 series variations. The Coupe alone is 35% of BMW 3series (well 4series) sales last I checked. That's not counting the convertible. Look at that number and it is clear why the ATS is the "1" to the 3series "3". Second.. how is the XTS a soft rider versus other cars in the segment of it's size. The 740i is not exactly a blvd cutter.. nor is the LS460 I don't see the XTS as a 7-series competitor, it's more of an option for 5-series/E-Class price-class buyers that want a bit more room.
  20. Drew Dowdell
    Possibly, but the extra power in the Regal or Impala would still make two stellar cars even more magnificent. After driving the '14 Regal GS recently, ballz out... that car handles with anything I can think of at Audi save the R8. More power, especially another 100, and U would have a car that easily runs down S4s One of the nice things about the Regal is its superb balance. I think putting the V6 up front would ruin that. We already know that the 2.0T can pump out 360hp... so why not let it?
  21. Drew Dowdell
    Awesome writeup! Thank you!
  22. Drew Dowdell
    I think the limitation for the TT3.6 in the Epsilon cars is one of transmission limitations and exhaust routing.
  23. Drew Dowdell
    Why? We have Zero-cylinder cars that are luxury cars and that start at that same price.
  24. Drew Dowdell
    Happy Birthday 98!
  25. Drew Dowdell
    Sweet rides! You should add them to the Cheers and Gears Garage
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