Jump to content
News
Reviews
Discussons
Activity
Create New...
Close

Drew Dowdell

Editor-in-Chief
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    56,305

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    568

 Content Type 

Everything posted by Drew Dowdell

  1. Drew Dowdell
    I would not be at all surprised if we see this here as a Verano convertible
  2. Drew Dowdell
    "Let's take the state of California for an example. The state passed laws requiring that utilities obtain at least about 1/3 of their power from wind, solar or other renewable sources. The result is that Californians now pay about 14.5 cents per kWh. Compared to states like Indiana or Texas where it is about 8 cents and 7.5 cents respectively." - Texas has a competitive power market with over 400 companies competing on price. California no longer has a competitive market, so you're not comparing apples to apples here. "Wind, Solar and the rest while attractive in their various niches wouldn’t generate enough power to provide for more than 20~25% of today’s power demands even when fully exploited." - Incorrect. The American Mid-West is the Saudi Arabia of wind energy. Additionally, there are newer wind turbine technologies that allow turbines to operate at lower wind speeds and double or triple output at the wind speeds current turbines typically run. New Jersey has already mitigated the need for new power plants by installing rooftop solar across the state. Germany is able to generate 50% of their energy needs via solar power during the summer. We have a much more southern and much sunnier climate than Germany. "Why Nuclear generation? Because it is the only alternative source of energy with sufficient generation density to power out civilization’s power demands." - I like nuclear as well, and it would be a great complimentary power source to wind and solar mentioned above. "So... yes... I'll say “Drill baby drill”!" - the longer that oil in our territory stays in the ground, the more valuable it becomes as other sources dry up.
  3. Drew Dowdell
    I was told quite pointedly this week by some people at GM that the General is working hard at getting all of the volume sellers where they want first before working on the special cars that most of us around here wish for. They want their cars to be at or near the top of each major segment first. Have a good base and then work on the fun stuff.
  4. Drew Dowdell
    GM Customer service has been notified of this thread
  5. Drew Dowdell
    I would guess that any vehicle that is Opel based would be first in line to get it. So in the US that means Encore, Verano, and Regal.... though I believe Regal to be least likely to get it in the current generation.
  6. Drew Dowdell
    I call for an Encore....
  7. Drew Dowdell
    I don't think the government told Lexus do to that. There is no law against bench seats.
  8. Drew Dowdell
    Moderator's note: Please steer clear of the EV debate in this thread. There is a very good debate to be had about the way franchise laws are set up and I don't want that to go off the rails by us getting back into the Value of the EV debate. There are plenty of other threads for that.
  9. Drew Dowdell
    You would think if they were real journalist, they would know a hatchback from a feakin wagon. Course the problem today is most journalist are pushing an agenda rather than reporting neutral news. You would think if they were a real journalist, they would have a grasp on the English language and reading comprehension.....
  10. Drew Dowdell
    for that kind of money, those chains that act as doors better be original....
  11. Drew Dowdell
    I have always been interested in flying but too chicken to try it myself.
  12. Drew Dowdell
    rough idle and subaru boxer almost go together naturally.
  13. Drew Dowdell
    If the Verano I drove was any indication, methinks your right! the Gremlin? that was directed to SMK commenting about the Encore.
  14. Drew Dowdell
    You should wait till you sit in it and drive it I think.
  15. Drew Dowdell
    I think we should be re-imagining the engine part too though. Use much smaller displacement V2 or V4 engines. Regenerators have different drivability requirements than a normal drive train. There is no need for a broad and deep power curve. It needs to operate at a few RPM points efficiently and that's it. Tune it to run best at whatever RPM the generator is most efficient and be done with it. No need to worry about NHV at 7,000 rpm because it will never go that high. By doing so, it allows you to use a V2 engine that would be otherwise unacceptable if it were reving like a normal engine would. hell... with a V2 or V4, you could use pushrods and make the engine even more compact. Also no need for VVT.
  16. Drew Dowdell
    Sir... about that dealership network in the EU.....
  17. Drew Dowdell
    I'd like to see CNG be used for small on-board EV re-generators.
  18. Drew Dowdell
    Electric power trains are fine. It is battery technology that continues to vex manufacturers. Lots of R&D is going into that area, so I expect it to improve.
  19. Drew Dowdell
    At 5'10" 170lbs, I am the statistical median American male. I don't at all feel the Encore or Escape are sardine cans. I really enjoyed my time in the Escape (as you will read in my review).
  20. Drew Dowdell
    I just finished driving a 2013 Ford Escape with the 1.6T and cloth seats that has a sticker price of $29.3k. I'd say the Buick will be a pretty good deal at that price. Yes it is smaller, but it has more luxury appointments.
  21. Drew Dowdell
    If you're going to be climbing Lycoming Mountain, only a Lycoming 8 will do. Certified Pre-Owned of course...
  22. Drew Dowdell
    To be fair, our weather is a bit different from yours.
  23. Drew Dowdell
    there is a 1.6L Turbo with 200hp and 200 lb-ft coming also. So of all of the engines you guys have listed, the answer may end up being "none of the above"
  24. Drew Dowdell
    I concure that the Tiquan, Rav and CRV are turds as FWD appliances. I see no reason for them to exist since they truly have no benefit beyond sitting higher since they do not have true cuv/suv on road/off road capabilities. Because not everyone is built to your size. As I've already said in this thread, Albert is 5'7" and 125lbs soaking wet. The Encore is perfect size for him. He refuses to drive anything much larger than his '04 CR-V, even that S-10 that I was looking at gives him concern (those of you who follow me on facebook know which one I'm talking about), 0-60 is meaningless to him, he never exceeds 45mph on his commute to work. He currently drives a 160hp crossover with a 4-speed automatic and is fine with it..... can't you imagine a whole bunch of other people (about a million CR-V drivers alone) who are just like Albert with their vehicles needs and wants? Buick's job is to sell vehicles, not just cater to a certain set of car fanatics. I think Buick has a potentially very good thing here with the Encore as they will be just about the only brand on the market with a vehicle in this exact segment.
  25. Drew Dowdell
    They came pretty close to that when they made the 2.8 HF
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.

Hey there, we noticed you're using an ad-blocker. We're a small site that is supported by ads or subscriptions. We rely on these to pay for server costs and vehicle reviews.  Please consider whitelisting us in your ad-blocker, or if you really like what you see, you can pick up one of our subscriptions for just $1.75 a month or $15 a year. It may not seem like a lot, but it goes a long way to help support real, honest content, that isn't generated by an AI bot.

See you out there.

Drew
Editor-in-Chief

I've whitelisted
Continue without support

Write what you are looking for and press enter or click the search icon to begin your search