VOTE

I know it's been a while, but this is important. Chevy is asking for your help in guiding their design studios toward a new subcompact. With the Aveo costing at much as 15K loaded up, and about 13-14K on average, this is important if you cannot afford to spend a lot, and need a 7 year 100K mile power train warranty.

Go over to vote4chevroletand vote for your favorite concept. I cannot post pictures of the cars because of copyrights, but I will give you a few links to where they can be found:

Pics at Autoblog

The new littlest Mazda could be the next best thing to happen to the B-segment

As I am sure you all know, Mazda is a major player in the Premere Vehicles Group Owned and opperated by Ford Motor Company World Wide. As such, everytime a new Mazda comes to America, everyone wished Ford would rebadge it. A good example of this is the Ford/Mazda C1 platform whish is the Ford of Europe Focus, the Mazda3/Axela and the Volvo s40. The platform is modified and used for other cars like the Mazda5 micro-minivan, but for the most part Ford dealers really want to stop selling the old Focus 170 platform and start selling the Focus C1.

Although that will not happen until 2009, at which point it might be too late, Ford dealers may get a breath of fresh platform soon enough. Enter the newest, and smallest Mazda for the new decade. The 2008 Mazda2 is to show it self in Geneva, and is poised to amaze even the most anti-mazda/ford guy around.

This little car is the best answer to the Honda Fit. There is no other car in the b-segment that can compair to the Fit in total package. The Toyota is nice, but still does not seem to impress or have the sportiness that so many of the sub-15K buyers desire. The Scion comes close but as the (re)starter of the b-segment in America, the xA and xB are old and are going to be replaced both by the xD a kind of streached xB. I don't care how different and out of the box the box-like Scions are, they are still boxes.

Ode to Oldmobile

Oldsmobile is one of the worlds oldest (no pun intended) automotive manufactures. As such, General Motors had to do a lot of explaining when the brand was cut from production in 2004. There was a general out cry when then new to General Motors Bob Lutz told everybody that he tried to save the brand, but was too late. It seemed as though the General had no real reason for killing the oldest General Motors brand.

There was a reason, but it is now understood as a very bad reason; Oldsmobile was selling less than 200,000 copies a year and that is grounds for immediate termination. Now that General Motors is on a fast track to being back in black, there are many vehicles now in production that would fit into the Oldsmobile line up that would bridge the gap between Pontiac and Buick.

The gap I speak of is the high performance (soon to be) rear wheel drive car platforms on the Pontiac side and the (also soon to be) high luxury front wheel drive car/SUV/CUV platforms on the Buick side. There is a huge gap there that can be filled with some performance cars, some semi-luxury cars, and the same in SUV and CUV forms.

Imagine a new version of the 4-4-2 based off of the upcoming Camaro (zeta) platform, or what about a Hurst/Olds Bravada based off the Trailblazer SS. I would have liked to see the Vibe and the Torrent moved from Pontiac to Oldsmobile when the rear wheel drive change over happens.

What upsets me the most; is that Saturn has for all intent and purpose taken over the void left by Oldsmobile. Some of you may not remember when Saturn was a sub-Chevrolet brand. A modern day comparison would be Toyota to Scion. When a Chevrolet Caviler sold for $12,000 a Saturn sold for $10,000. That is about the same difference between a Corolla, and a xA/xB (the tC sells for more than a Corolla).

Now, Saturn sells for just about the same cost as a Chevrolet, but with different designs. I tried asking Saturn salesmen where the Saturn brand fell in the General Motors line up and he did not know what I was talking about. I then explained that “back in the day” the line up was divided into the five main brands in order from lowest (least expensive) to highest (most expensive) Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, and Cadillac.

When I mentioned Cadillac, he told me that such a division of brands no longer fits in General Motors because the new Saturn Aura sells for sub $20,000 MSRP but has the same Cadillac v6 power plant. This is backed up with professional reviews from Edmunds.com “The spirited 3.6-liter V6 in the XR is the same mill used in the Cadillac CTS…” Now, any idiot will know that General Motors now operates under the mass economies of scale business protocol, instead of the planetary brand isolation business protocol.

Simply put, up to about the 1980s, General Motors’ brands had all unique and very individual brand identities, “a car for every purse and propose.” After the Asian invasion of Mr. Honda and Toyota, General Motors streamlined everything and no longer was there a Chevy 350 and a Pontiac 389, or a Olds Rocket 88, or a Buick Nailhead, or a Cadillac v8.

Fearing that a mistake was made Cadillac, and for the most part Corvette, was excluded from the engine and platform sharing. Hence the Northstar v8 and the somewhat exclusive LT and LS engines. That all changed when the Northstar was planted (along with the whole platform) in Buick show rooms in the form of the Lucerne.

Well, the point is that Saturn is now taking the place of the former Oldsmobile. In the heyday of Olds, the brand was billed as the technology leader of General Motors. This was so Cadillac could have a launch platform for many of the standard features found in the upscale marquee. A good example of this is the 1966 Oldsmobile Tornado—the first full sized front wheel drive “personal car” which is the same as the 1967 Cadillac Eldorado.

As such if Olds was still around, I would like to see the brand go up against some of the most advanced technology out there. Things like the iDrive system in BMWs and the Navigation system in the Lincoln all the way up to the self parking Lexus LS 430—all for about half the cost. My imaginary Oldsmobile line up for 2007 would consist of the following vehicles (or platforms):

An entry level mid sized sedan Cutlass based off of the Epsilon platform

An entry level mid sized coupe Tornado based off the Epsilon platform

An entry level mid sized SUV based off the Theta platform

A special “halo” mid sized coupe 442 based off the upcoming Zeta platform

A mid level sub full sized sedan 88 based off the Sigma platform

A mid level full sized sedan 98 based off the Sigma platform

A mid level full sized sedan Aurora based off the G platform

A mid level full sized SUV Bravada based off the GMT 360 platform


Well that’s my rant for today; maybe I will post a second chapter on the ode to Oldsmobile. Let me know what you think.

Prejudice.

So is looks like Edmunds.com is done with their year long road test of the Pontiac Solstice roadster. After a year with living with the small two-seat, what have they learned, and what did they report to the public? That is a question I am still pondering, even as I enter into my Human Factors final exam.

I mention my exam because Human Factors is what the Edmunds staff complained about the most. Human Factors covers most of the ergonomic issues, things like why people prefer the HVAC controls to be in turn-knob style as opposed to push button or toggle switch style. Human Factors also incorporates statements like “This thing is beautiful!” as well as the overall design of a product, (too much wind noise, or level of connectedness to the road). Basically, Human Factors is the one thing designers are most worried about, and understand the least.

That being said, the Edmunds staff had a lot to say about why the Mx-5 is so much nicer, but totally ignored the basic formula General Motors was following. It is my understanding that GM set out to create a modern take on the original Corvette, i.e. a simple, basic, two seat roadster that the majority of people find well designed (looks good), handles, and gives them a sense of romance (think of the flash back scene from Casablanca).

Edmunds even admits that the Solstice was never really given a chance because of prejudice toward the Pontiac. Oh sure, they say they wanted the Pontiac to do better, but it just didn’t cut it. I find that a little hard to believe myself, because most of the entries in the log book were about things that make a roadster, well a roadster.

One editor complained that the transmission grabbed gears too well, saying, “…the clutch engages like a light switch -- minimal progression... it grabs and you better get your foot out.”

Others thought is was necessary that this roadster have a trunk the size of a TownCar, I counted seven (7) different entries about the lack of trunk space.

I am going to go off a little about this. I don’t know who said the Solstice (or Mx-5 Z3, Z4, 350Z, TT, XLR, Crossfire, Corvette, s2000, SC430, etc.) are everyday cars, but whoever it was should be drug into the street and shot. All compact two seat convertibles have roots as roadsters and the few that continue to be roadsters should not be asked to do things that larger cars do.

That means no trunk space because they were not meant to be driven long distances; it’s a weekend car to have fun with people! Let me just say for the record, what a traditional roadster is; it is a car that has no top or (now) a manual storable top, has no side windows or (now) manual rollup windows, front engine rear drive configuration, two seats, no radio, no navigation system, no CD player, no CD changer, manual shift transmission, and no sound deadening. Roadsters commonly have quick steering ratios and quick gearing ratios, they have basic suspension setups and are lacking in anything luxurious.

Why Edmunds.com, Car and Driver, Road and Track, Autoblog.com and all of the other main stream and not so main stream publications insist the Solstice go on long road trips and not have any wind or road noise, float over potholes, and in general not act like what it is (a roadster) is beyond me.

I stopped reading the updated log book when I found one editor complaining about the canvas top, wishing that the Solstice had a vinyl top like the Mazda (if the cat did not sleep on it this would not happen). I had to laugh a little because I knew full well that if the Solstice did have a vinyl top, like the Mazda, then everybody would say that the Pontiac was being cheep in top material. So it is really a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation with the Solstice.

Before you start thinking I am just complaining that all of the editors are not really doing their job of being candid in their reports, I will say I was a little disappointed in Erin Riches, the Senior Content Editor’s entry at 17,269 miles. What Riches found was the seat leather was starting to ripple form being sat in all the time.

I would like to think that the people over at Edmunds are not adding too much extra weight to the all ready heavy Solstice, and will entertain my fantasy that all of the editors are Hooters models and Playboy Playmates. Getting back to reality, this problem is due to one of two reasons (or both as might be the case here). The first what Riches thinks, “… whoever cut the leather for the seat wasn't given very exact dimensions.” and second what I think, the foam that makes up the seats mass disintegrated. Either way it is poor quality control, and Pontiac should be advised that such short comings are going to damage the brands revival.

So why do I feel the need to review a review? Simple; I think it is wrong to fault a vehicle for doing what it was designed to do. This is akin to complaining that your alarm woke you up. You set the alarm, you told the alarm to go off at the time it did; the alarm did nothing wrong—besides doing what it was programmed to do.

The Mazda has been king of the hill for so long; I can see a prejudice toward any car that might threaten the royal reign of the Mx-5. For the first time in almost 15 years, there is a car out there that is priced, designed, and follows the same formula of the Mx-5, and the powers that be are scared.

I drove both cars back to back and I found that both have nice points and not so nice points. The Solstice, for example, has more body lean than the Mx-5; but the Mx-5 has a harder suspension than the Solstice. So which car is better? Well that is a matter of opinion—nothing more. Build quality has nothing to do with it here, Mazda and GM are not officially rivals and it will be a long time until one or the other rises on top.

I will just ask that all future reviews of the Solstice are done in taste, and do not fault the car for being too low, or not having enough trunk space. As the first in more than 50 years of trying to produce an inexpensive weekend roadster, GM should be given a shot to prove it self. Instead, GM is given a snub and not a second look—Edmunds even opens saying the only reason they bought the car was to see what all the hype was about, and not to really test out the car.

I leave you with one request as consumers. If you want a car that will fit your stuff, don’t buy a roadster. Buy a sedan, if it has to be sporty, than buy a 2+2 coupe at the least. Do not think a Solstice or a Mx-5 for that matter, will become something its not just because you really want it to be.

FuelCard.org

Hey guys, I know you think the price of gas has gone down a lot over the past few months, but don't be fooled! No, I am not going to make some big dooms day rant about how OPEC and the "big [bad] oil companies" are trying to rip off unassuming Americans. What I will say though, is don't forget that during the summer months gas prices do go up to compensate with demand, and right now is the calm before the storm.

But there is hope! Remember that little plastic card on your key chain? No, not your key chain credit card, I mean the savings pass from your grocery store! Well what if you could have something like that for your favorite gas station? Guess what! You can! Just sign up with FuelCard.Org and when they launch, you will get your card in the mail to show to the pump jockeys and you will get up to 20 cents a gallon back!

That means if you own an SUV with a 40 gallon tank, (40*.20=8) that's eight bucks you get to keep! So sign up now and spread the word!

WTF?!?!?!

I am going to school for Design in Arizona and as such, I see more of the "west coast low riders" than I used to when I lived in New Jersey. To that end, I was the lucky person to come across this strange Buick one fine morning.



Now, I know what you're thinking; this is just an old Buick Regal, there cannot possibly be anything out of the normal with this car. Well if you look closely, you will find this unassuming Buick is wearing DUBs for shoes. Don't believe me? Well just look at the DUB logo on the center cap.



Why oh why do people buy $500 cars and put $1,000 each rims on them? I was not lucky enough to hear the sound system, but I am sure it is not stock and has more power going to the speakers than my 5.1 surround sound THX approved Dolby Digital Pioneer Elite home entertainment system.

I will leave you with that question; why buy a POS car and put rims that cost more than a new car on it. Think about it for a minute. If you can figure it out, please let me know!

Old news, but still note worthy.

So, I was talking to a friend of mine the other day. She drives an old Audi, and told me "I will never buy American." When I asked why she admitted to having no good reason, only that she has never given a first--forget about, second thought to American made vehicles.

One of my roommates in college last year said he will only buy Toyota. Not just only foreign, or just only Japanese, but ONLY TOYOTA. I could have told him at the time, but he never would have listened to me, but lo-and behold:

"TOYOTA RECALLS ONE MILLION VEHICLES WORLDWIDE"

Yup, that’s right. By comparison, in the first quarter, General Motors announced 113,000 recalls. So, 113,000(x4 = 452000) VS 1,000,000. That means that within the same time frame, General Motors recalled less than half of Toyota's recall quota.

I will admit I am eschewing the data a little bit. The 1-mil recalled Toyotas are of a worldwide production, where my source for General Motor's recalls only quotes the American production. So the 452K does not count Opel, Holden, Vauxhall, and the many other rebaged GM vehicles around the world.

Still, in America alone, 170,000 of one model are being recalled. So what little I am messing up the data, the stats still valid.

I also remember a recall with the Tundra pickup. The Tundra is supposed to be giving the Silverado a run for its money--and is, very well. But that is only because people think Toyota is of better quality. The recall I am, uh... recalling (sorry, I don’t mean to pun) is the Tundra's Ball-Joint recall.

You might remember reading this in Detroit Free Press, "Last year's Tundra recall was for the replacement of ball joints, a suspension component that might have been scratched during assembly."

But the problem, as DFP noted, was that "The safety administration said Monday it has found 142 incidents of ball-joint separations. The part fails nearly twice as often on four-wheel-drive versions, compared with two-wheel-drive models, the investigation summary said."

Compare that to a Silverado recall stated in full here from the NHTSA website:

Make / Models :         Model/Build Years:

   

CHEVROLET / SILVERADO  1999-2000

GMC / SIERRA           1999-2000



Manufacturer : GENERAL MOTORS CORP.    

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 06V066000

Mfg's Report Date : MAR 08, 2006



Component: STRUCTURE:BODY:TAILGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

Potential Number Of Units Affected : 805368



Summary:

CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS HAVE GALVANIZED-BRAIDED-STEEL TAILGATE

SUPPORT CABLES USED TO SUPPORT THE TAILGATE IN THE FULL OPEN

(HORIZONTAL) POSITION. OVER TIME THESE CABLES CAN CORRODE AND

FRACTURE WHEN LOADS ARE APPLIED TO THEM.



Consequence:

IF ONE CABLE FRACTURES, THE REMAINING CABLE MAY RETAIN THE

TAILGATE IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION. IF BOTH CABLES FRACTURE,

THE TAILGATE WOULD DROP AND STRIKE THE TOP SURFACE OF THE REAR

BUMPER. IF ANYONE IS SITTING OR STANDING ON THE HORIZONTAL

SURFACE OF THE TAILGATE WHEN BOTH CABLES FRACTURED, THEY

COULD FALL AND BE INJURED. ON VEHICLES WITHOUT A BUMPER,

THE TAILGATE MAY DROP TO A LOWER POSITION.



Remedy:

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE GALVANIZED SUPPORT CABLES WITH STAINLESS

STEEL SUPPORT CABLES. IN ADDITION, DEALERS ARE TO INSPECT THE

TAILGATE HINGE AND REPLACE IT, IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL IS

EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING APRIL 2006. OWNERS MAY

CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438 OR GMC AT 1-866-996-9463.

The Note that you really want to read is, "IF ANYONE IS SITTING OR STANDING ON THE HORIZONTAL SURFACE OF THE TAILGATE WHEN BOTH CABLES FRACTURED, THEY COULD FALL AND BE INJURED."

So in other words, you can trip and make a boo-boo if you don’t get your Silverado fixed, or you can crash and burn if you don’t get your Tundra fixed.

Oh well. I guess some people never learn.

About the spelling

Yes, I know... I am a bad speller. I usually check everything, but because I usually write my entries late at night I miss a lot of errors. I do not have a lot of time to spend writing these entries in the first place, which is why there are so little of them. This is mostly because I am too busy having a life and doing real work. As it turns out, I am a good typist and mostly misspell common words like "because" or mix words like "work" and "word" mostly because I am thinking faster than my hands can type, as I do not pre-write any of my entries.

Any way, to the capital "E" Eurotrash, out there I will try and accommodate you better in the future.