Drew Dowdell
-
Posts
56,024 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
554
Content Type
Forums
Articles
Garage
Gallery
Events
Store
Everything posted by Drew Dowdell
-
Well I suppose selling Chryslers and Jeeps would be one way to increase sales for the company...cause selling VWs ain't doing it. -
Can Cadillac ATS, CTS and SRX European Roadshow Win over the Public?
Drew Dowdell replied to G. David Felt's topic in Opinion
There is dealership experience and then there is not knowing the dealership exists because there is no sign. -
Some cars exceed their rating (like all of the Chrysler LX cars I've ever driven) and some don't do so well (most non-hybrid Hondas 4-cylinders)
-
Can Cadillac ATS, CTS and SRX European Roadshow Win over the Public?
Drew Dowdell replied to G. David Felt's topic in Opinion
But not if the guy at the tour says "... and to buy one, find your local Opel dealer... have the receptionist show you into the back on the other side of the service department... and we'll let you play with the US Build-a-car site for a bit... just don't select any V6 engines on the ATS." -
Malaysian Airlines Plane Shot Down over Ukraine
Drew Dowdell replied to Drew Dowdell's topic in The Lounge
What will come out in the news in a widespread way, if it hasn't already, is that a warning was issued to airlines and air traffic control about 4 hours prior to this flight taking off not to cross this part of Ukraine airspace. But apparently a ML Airbus A380 passed on this same flight-path just a few minutes before.... that would have about doubled the loss of life if they hit that one. -
Malaysian Airlines Plane Shot Down over Ukraine Two planes have been shot down this week in the conflict, what isn't this a no-fly zone for commercial airliners?? Such a sad loss of life.
-
SMART News:Revealed: 2016 smart fortwo & forfour
Drew Dowdell replied to William Maley's topic in Mercedes-Benz
IcanhazOpelAdam? -
I've driven both back to back (old version of the Tahoe) and it would be a tough call for me to make if I were given the choice to pick one for free base on ride and drive. The Tahoe does drive more truck-like, but not by much. Handling and maneuverability is a bit of a wash on these types of vehicles too.... but I got called a "He's just a good ol' boy" by my co-worker in reference to Dukes of Hazard for my ability to wheel a Suburban from New Jersey through NYC rush hour traffic and into Queens and back. I never felt the Suburban was unwieldy, but neither is the Durango. I had the Expedition in this same time-frame and hated it... an absolute dinosaur of an SUV. My favorite SUV rentals are GCs, Durangos, Suburban/Tahoe, Enclave... or if none of those are available and a Flex is, I'll take that. I've had new Pathfinders, the Infiniti QX-Pathfinder, the Edge and they were decent movers, but not as good as the Lambdas.... and a far cry from the Durango/GC.
-
It loses a lot of the off-road abilities in the translation from Nissan to Infiniti. Gone is the multi-setting 4x4 with rock, snow, and crawl mode, instead you get a run-of-the-mill AWD with Auto/4hi/4lo mode. Gone is hill descent control and electronic locking rear differential in favor of Adaptive Cruise Control and other on-road stuff.
-
That pig is far less capable off-road than the Grand Cherokee or Range Rover.
-
Quick Drive: 2014 Cadillac XTS VSport Premium
Drew Dowdell replied to William Maley's topic in Reviews
In the XTS, it was detuned because the engine is turned 90 degrees and there is an exhaust restriction.... it's only 10 HP. The Halex system can send something like 90% of the torque to the rear if need be, so I doubt it has anything to do with torque steer. The CTS V-Sport is RWD only... though in the AWD models with lesser engines, it would be a different transmission and AWD system. -
Infinity make SUVs now?
-
I agree... Encore is probably too small for Cadillac. Besides, they are having trouble keeping up with worldwide demand for that car and its variants as is.
-
That's because no one goes off-roading with a vehicle that bases at $84,000. Range Rovers are at ski-resorts all the time...but perhaps you aren't allowed through the gates of those. :-P
-
Aside from the fact that most ride on Dubs these days, Range Rovers (not Land Rover, that's the entire brand) are still one of the most capable off-roaders one can buy that side of a Wrangler. Pretty much your only other choice that would equal the Range Rover off-road is a loaded Grand Cherokee with the height adjustable suspension. That means, yes, the uni-body Range Rover and Jeep GC are more capable off-road than a Trailblazer, Tahoe, or Suburban.
-
Because the delivery of that power is quite different on the TTV6. Agree with you on the diesel though.
-
While peak output may be similar, the delivery of that power isn't at all the same. That's where the distinction would be. It's like the 1.8 and 1.4T in the Cruze... output is roughly the same, but the engines drive differently enough to matter.
-
I would imagine there is a substantial amount of tuning variance available in the TTV6. They could make it a low end torque monster or pump up the horsepower a bit in the upper RPM range but push the torque plateau further up in the RPM band. Have you driven the TTV6 yet Z? If not, you really should, it is such a fantastic engine. I really wouldn't even mind if Cadillac dropped the V8 in favor of it just to give Cadillac more differentiation.... I doubt they would, but it wouldn't be the end of the world.
-
The TTV6 has fantastic low end torque. I could see this as being a substantial benefit to the Escalade. And more engine options are always good.
-
Grand Cherokee has always been unibody. Now, unless we're going to retroactively add to the generally accepted crossover meaning of "an SUV built on a car platform with less SUV capability...." Showing my age as Jeep used to make true SUV's that were Body on Frame. With the Grand Cherokee, it became from the very first generation a CUV. I think the only SUV Jeep makes is the Wrangler now. Not really. The term Crossover, when it came about, generally meant a SUV that was built on a platform originally meant for a car. So, vehicles like the CR-V (Civic related), RAV-4 (Corolla related), Aztek (Chevy Lumina APV/ Venture related), and Lexus RX (Toyota Camry related). The Grand Cherokee, from the start, was only ever built on its own platform. Yet tiny SUVs like the Geo Tracker and the very first Kia Sportage were true small SUVs and not crossovers because they were body on frame and not based on a car. (The Sportage was very distantly related to a commercial Mazda van chassis). But just being Unibody doesn't mean the GC is a crossover. The Range Rover has been Unibody since 2002 and no one would consider that "not an SUV"
-
Grand Cherokee is a CUV also now. Once they dropped the body on frame, they left the SUV and went to CUV with the Auto Unibody. I consider both the Grand Cherokee and Durango to be CUV's. Grand Cherokee has always been unibody.
-
What once made Cadillac tick no longer applies in the luxury segment. It's no longer about huge space, cloud smooth ride, and the most glitz... it's about aggressive looks and driving acumen that makes the most mundane morning commute a trip around the Nürburgring.
-
No way on the Explorer over the Durango... just not even a contest. The Lambdas aren't really that dated and they are the cargo kings of the segment... but they are more soft-roaders than the Durango. The Durango you could take on a rutted country trail... the Enclave not so much.
-
I didnt say there wouldnt be one, only that it wouldnt be Gamma based
-
I think the next SRX is due to shrink externally while remaining the same size internally. updated platform for that. I don't think they'll do a Cadillac Encore... Apparently no way to make it much bigger on the Gamma platform.
