Jump to content
Server Move In Progress - Read More ×
News
Reviews
Discussons
Activity
Create New...
Close

caddycruiser

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    3,792

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    1

 Content Type 

Everything posted by caddycruiser

  1. caddycruiser
    If you were to BUY any of these, you would need to be committed to an asylum. Real world transaction prices and method is key. The point the "higher end" Cadillac ends up costing less, no matter what way you cut it, is key. No one buys the base. And, being GM, even when you're at Cadillac level...you're still not getting features standard on a Corolla. Safety stuff? Blind spot? "Our focus groups say people don't want that stuff". The base FWD cloth 2.5L Blazer is not going to be the seller. There's so many options on the market right now, unless you get a $10k GM Card bonus randomly...and have to have a squat Chevy crossover, keep shopping. This will be an interesting one. Every time any new product comes out it's almost always expensive, YES. But for this combo of vehicle...does anyone even care about it in the first place...
  2. caddycruiser
    The poorly tuned dynamics of these have never even lived up to the previous gen's 4.0L & 5-speed. Not one review praises the current Tacoma, and it usually brings up the back of the pack. Strange for sure, "for a Toyota". All the smaller trucks are interesting. This one, most of anything, needed a reset to the engine/transmission calibration and features. Steve Hammes reviewed it the best (as a previous gen owner): https://testdrivenow.com/2019-toyota-tacoma-video-review/
  3. caddycruiser
    This is the worst driving and worst performing mid size truck, when it used to be one of the best. The fact it got a new radio, and not internal gut improvements is the odd part.
  4. caddycruiser
    We got this back at the start of October, by the way. It's "in the family" and I bought it through my consulting firm. Back in June of last year, with 6 months to go on the Traverse lease and a checklist of "I don't like...I don't want...but I do want", I made mom drive a checklist of cars: Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo/Limited (what she said she wanted before driving) Subaru Ascent Limited (loved it, just too big) Buick Envision Turbo (too small, too narrow, didn't like the drive) and looked at a GMC Acadia ("don't need to drive it, thanks") Mazda CX-9 Touring (beautiful, comfortable, and not too big. She just didn't want it) 2019 Kia Sorento EX AWD V6 (another one she really liked) Toyota Highlander Limited (minivan, meh, and not a fave) Waited another 3 months, then off with the Traverse and into a late model year 2018 JGC Limited.
  5. caddycruiser
    GREAT truck. In the big truck market right now, people talk too much of the "interior" (it is by FAR the best), but the overall package, drive, etc. of the Ram is by far also the best. Good move!
  6. caddycruiser
    For the cost of an Equinox...a more refined Grand Cherokee with a silent silky V6 and crisp 8 speed, that can get better mileage real world, is far more comfortable, etc. isn't that much more. See what's possible. I had a base-base 2016 GC Laredo 4x2 as a rental, also, back in 2017 and it was just as nice, aside from few features. Also the first one I averaged 27.5mpg on a highway trip in.
  7. caddycruiser
    We own a consulting firm now for vehicle purchases, nationwide, and usually stay away from the higher end trims for those reasons. Air ride, few want nor is it recommended, and at the end of the day, not much else is different vs. a Limited. Go Limited Luxury II with panoramic, cooled seated, etc. and you have it all. Get ANY 2018+, 7.0" or 8.4", and you have the latest UConnect with CarPlay anyway. Lots of trim options. to choose. Great mix. FCA "reliability" is no different than any other modern vehicle. I worked for Honda/Acura for 6+ years, and came to realize, driving dynamics aside, the build quality was a mix (or a mess), the refinement stunk, and still issues. Before the Jeep, there was a 2011 GMC Terrain, a 2013 GMC Terrain, and a 2016 Traverse. None went in for any issues, per say, but all had miserable infotainment that would crash, black out, or stop working (aside from the 2011 without a touch screen) and poor powertrain dynamics. Buy a 1st 6 months Alfa Giulia...it'll be finnicky. Buy a Grand Cherokee, you've been fine for 8 years, and each year the powertrain tuning is even better.
  8. caddycruiser
    Another great point. The XT4/XT5 siblings aren't even wowzers, but for the same price...or less...than a "OMG it's a Blazer!" why would you not? No doubt, also, the lease on an XT5 right now is lower than a Blazer as well. This may be, one of the worst bizarrely overpriced products GM has intro'd. $42k max, for a V6 RS. Great. With an Equinox Premier 2.0T maxing at $36k... Who'd think. They might even sell more vs. "but the transaction prices end up closer to there after random rebates, AARP and GM card..."
  9. caddycruiser
    A friend is up to 110k on her 2014 GC Limited...with original brakes, a set of 20" tires changed once, and not much else. Great tanks, with mileage and capability to match. A lot changed in 2016 forward, with engine modifications, tuning, the shifter, the front fascia, etc. so each year there are improvements that not everyone notices. Great car. To be continued for the 2020 model year...as the next gen isn't ready yet, until 2021.
  10. caddycruiser
    I always talked people out of adaptive cruise...but now that I'm a road warrior daily in NY, I get it. Good move. Glad it's becoming standard now for normal car makers. You know, unlike GM focus groups and "our customers say they don't want those features"...where even blind spot is optional in a $50k+ Cadillac. Thankfully, unlike GM again (also), the blind spot system in an FCA vehicle is functional, and vs. you having to stare at it because it does nothing but maybe light up, if its on and you signal, "beep beep beep!". Add adaptive cruise (easy not expensive bundle on a Limited), and you're set, including auto parking. The difference in feel and platform between a Cherokee and GC is huge. So, auto stop is rarely noticed in the GC. She loves it...and that's saying something. We test drove a new Toyota Highlander Limited that would shudder on off on off every time, followed by a "what is wrong with this car?" reaction. Jeep, never notices, and likes it.
  11. caddycruiser
    The entire system was a mess, and in both the Terrain and Traverse, whether USB, Bluetooth, or FM, would repeatedly crash, freeze, black out or lock onto Pandora by default at start up. This is a different world, however. After putting 5,500 miles on a 2017 GC Limited rental I had, all over NYC, update NY, western PA, etc. repeatedly, definitely one of my favorite new vehicle packages. 550 miles to a tank, getting 23-26 mpg effortlessly in something silent and perfectly sized doesn't hurt either. Mom, who was terrified of Start Stop, and I said "you can turn it off" now says "absolutely not. It's so cool. I'm in traffic or stuck all the time. Is that why it never needs gas? It's better than any of my cars...and so fast". Boom.
  12. caddycruiser
    Limited is the perfect combination, and the best lease in the lineup. Everything is standard, and now for 2019, the further updated flush 8.4" UConnect and Blind Spot are as well. Mom wanted nothing to do with in car Nav after the mess of a MyLink radio in the Traverse (and Terrain before it) so the 7.0" with CarPlay has been perfect for her. Better gas mileage than any car she's had...and rips through the 8 speed, flawlessly. This is a package, 8 years in, that never seems to age vs. the competition.
  13. caddycruiser
    Name: 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4x4 Category: Vehicles Date Added: 2019-02-23 Submitter: caddycruiser 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4x4
  14. caddycruiser
  15. caddycruiser
    This is possible on 2018's and newer. Although the screens and buttons "look the same" on a 2017 vs. 2018 model, as an example, 2018 and newer UConnects are all new, from graphics to hardware to CarPlay, and have the drag & drop. We have the "base" 7.0" UConnect in our 2018 Grand Cherokee, with drag & drop. Helps, just like a smartphone, to put what you want where you want it.
  16. caddycruiser
    Even we went Jeep Grand Cherokee this last year...after repeated GM crossovers, there was not a single thing in their lineup that made any sense. The 2016 Traverse was awesome, and loaded to the hilt, but too big and drove like the Titanic. Envision? Meh. Acadia? Cheap interior, and higher priced than the loaded Traverse was in 2016 for more stuff, plus a 3rd row not wanted. Drove every competitor too, from Mazda to Subaru to Kia to Toyota. Ended up turning in the Traverse, for a 2018 Grand Cherokee Limited with every single feature possible (as, unlike GM, even with "no options" everything is there, and then some), get better mileage than any of the last 5 cars or crossovers in the house, it rips through the RWD 8-speed, is silent and powerful has full 4wd capability, and just drives so well. I put 5500 miles on a rental 2017 at the end of the year, and could not stop driving it. Perfect, in tune, right size, great power, handles and rides better than many cars, and is massively more functional. After an update NY to western PA to NYC roadtrip of 549 miles on 1 tank of regular...it also is just daily easy efficient. Blazer was a thought "should I wait until new year?" and mom was okay with it, as it seemed the right size. Now that they're out, and $10k more than a GC if comparably equipped, no comparison at all. It would be $100+ more per month to get a BASE 2.5L Blazer right now than a JGC Limited...FYI. But back to the Blazer... Anyone else drive one yet?
  17. caddycruiser
    This thing is ridiculous...and in my car world travels, when a Chevy dealer I know well said "it's so expensive. See that FWD base 4-cylinder one outside? We ran a lease the other day and even with a couple grand down, the BASE was low to mid $500's..." and their eyes rolled. Even dealers are confused. Many GM products with these inflated insane stickers lease awfully too, lately. It's a scary slope... Then walk into Ford and there's a functional roomy Edge with Co-Pilot 360 standard, Ecoboost, refinement and...but so many other brand choices that are better. Why would I even consider a $50k Blazer with sparse features, when even a brand new 2019 Grand Cherokee Limited with a 25 mpg getting 8 speed that rips, has room, feels european refined, and handles...with real 4wd, stickers for $42k? GM just seems to not care that competition exists, is better, or a real human being can drive a Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, etc. and be shocked at how awful the GM "competitor thing" is. The full size trucks are enough of a mess. I get the idea of a Camaro SUV...but who was asking for that?. Oh, and an Equinox is $40k+ with options...what a few years of crazy bad at GM. Yet last week I had a 2018 Colorado 3.6L crew cab and was shocked at how nice it was, and "why don't they make an SUV from this?"...
  18. caddycruiser
    It was time to do something...but between slashing these products, maybe there's a glimmer of hope they can remake and re-do the remaining set of plebian, out classed and "why isn't it even as nice as the last gen?" current mix of crossovers, embarrassing full size trucks, etc. they have. The shocking "what the heck is THAT thing?" of the current full size trucks intro should have been a visible "UH OH" to days and years to come to everyone. Interesting news day. Just one of those...time to rip the bandaid off and stop 45% "kinda look we did it" with a too large mix of products. Things got better after 2009-2010 cuts, then went downhill fast again recently, so hopefully these cuts help...something...🤔 They always struggle to stay on point, somehow. Those times as someone above mentioned..."can we borrow Bob Lutz for 3 years as a consultant for everything out now?" Something. Anything. When you can't come out with an all new full size truck generation that makes anyone take a 2nd look, and most laugh, it's a red alert zone.
  19. caddycruiser
    These are classics that are so well baked at this point...you can't go wrong. Lack of any options aside, the 2017 Challenger R/T (literally zero options, and cloth with no backup camera...but burbling Hemi) was incredible for the 5000 miles I put on it as a rental for work. Best part, quiet, smoothness, and refinement heft aside, was with the ZF 8-speed, multiple times I got 28-29mpg cruising, with an all time best 29.6 mpg from western PA back to Philly on a Sunday. Yet since, I've driven smaller cars, cars with no power, etc. and struggled to get more than 22-23 highway. Had a V6 2017 Charger SXT rental for a week too, with far nicer technology inside, and even though the 3.6L is no barn stormer, with he 8-speed it's silent and strong. These cars just keep going and going and going... Which makes you wonder...
  20. caddycruiser
    The Pacifica oozes "well done and luxurious" with styling everywhere, and makes the Odyssey/Sienna feel tinny, flimsy, and clunky in comparison. This is an example of FCA design done right, through and through. Any other takeaways a few months in now? They definitely feel more than a decade more advanced than the old T&C.
  21. caddycruiser
    How to do things right and keep raking in the cash...
  22. caddycruiser
    Though thankfully less awkward, and far higher quality than the current mess of a Pilot Honda has been pushing, and far nicer interior, trim, features, technology, etc. This is the package Honda only wished they had right now. The turbo will take people getting used to, but if Mazda, Volvo, etc. can pull it off, Subaru will have no issue. Powertrains are now the odd piece next to no modern consumer cares about, instead asking for CarPlay and Emergency Braking... I've been around the Ascent for a while now, and it's a winner. Right package, right time, right features, they spent endless time benchmarking every right category needed, and with Subaru appeal, and brand love. You have to see it in person to understand just how large it is, more lower step Tahoe "size look" than normal crossover.
  23. caddycruiser
    Most valid point and the strangest one Lincoln keeps overcoming...despite this. Read long term reviews, see build quality issues people have, yet...the "it's a Continental!" recognition has odd crown appeal to it. The kind of cred other brands wish they could figure out. I like this new name. MKX was the only one with recognition, but this is better.
  24. caddycruiser
    Heading from Detroit airport & staying in Birmingham, MI this past week... 2018+ Jeep Cherokee prototypes masked over, cruising the highway 2018 GMC Terrains, all around, look great, especially the nose from the front Bentley Bentayga...in light gold...being driven by an elderly lady Always enjoy the car sitings in Michigan.
  25. caddycruiser
    I've used CarPlay a few times, and even debated putting a touchscreen unit in my 4Runner to have it. Then realized, why? I always have my iPhone plugged in, and always use a clip mounting it beside the steering wheel. Even in my 2-3 years of driving Acura TLX's with Nav, USB, Bluetooth, and 2 screens...I always used the iPod USB link, but otherwise simply touched on the phone, used the phone nav, etc. CarPlay can't replicate Waze, just Apple maps. Many functions are limited. It's an awesome system, and I loved using it in a new Cadillac XT5 loaner car once, but for me...it's limited, as I want ALL the Apple features ALL the time, and can see them on my screen already without taking an eye far off the road.
×
×
  • Create New...

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

Change privacy settings