If You HAD To Buy An American Car Today, Which One Would You Be Driving Home In?

I have a STS v8 currently but make my next Caddy a CTS-V!

— 1UAW (View Profile)

Posted on 10/3/2009 3:50:26 AM | | Votes: -3   

oops did not see that the v was not allowed in this situation so give me a STS-v!

— 1UAW (View Profile)

Posted on 10/3/2009 3:51:59 AM | | Votes: -4   

I'll take a Pontiac Vibe or a Ford Fusion.

— Badgewhore (View Profile)

Posted on 10/4/2009 3:40:47 AM | | Votes: -2   

Definately Dodge Challenger SRT8

— bfghemicuda (View Profile)

Posted on 10/4/2009 9:39:03 PM | | Votes: 1   

2010 Ford Taurus SHO

— B7FAN (View Profile)

Posted on 10/5/2009 7:37:59 AM | | Votes: 1   

Cadillac CTS 3.6 AWD WAGON... very cool car.

— 204E60 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/5/2009 11:26:30 AM | | Votes: -1   

2010 Ford Taurus SHO

— B7FAN (View Profile)

Posted on 10/5/2009 7:39:19 AM | | Votes: 1   

they still making that POS Viper?

— pcar4evr (View Profile)

Posted on 10/3/2009 8:58:58 AM | | Votes: -1   

"....and it's not something you see everyday."

It's not something you drive everyday either.

— Bmw8ter (View Profile)

Posted on 10/3/2009 6:47:43 PM | | Votes: 0   

I already have an everyday driver thank you.

— Joe_Limon (View Profile)

Posted on 10/3/2009 7:17:48 PM | | Votes: 2   

that's fine, you can walk.
there are a number of great american cars.
you're sour.

— enthusiastx11 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/3/2009 12:04:07 PM | | Votes: 11   

naw son i aint sour. im good

— KZ258 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/3/2009 1:49:00 PM | | Votes: -13   

hmmm...by the way you speak, i'd assume you'd love to have an F-150 with a gunrack.

— enthusiastx11 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/3/2009 4:03:47 PM | | Votes: 8   

lol no enthusiastx11, i dont drive a pickup truck with a shotgun in it. look at my icon, its a nissan maxima, 6th gen, with aftermarket tail lights. i just felt like talkin gangster at the moment....seems like alot people dont like that. no one here is from NY?

— KZ258 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/5/2009 3:53:10 AM | | Votes: 0   

CTS ...

— MSP6 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/3/2009 10:08:54 AM | | Votes: 1   

Maybe then you can sell a house lol!

— 1UAW (View Profile)

Posted on 10/3/2009 12:07:15 PM | | Votes: 1   

el34,

which car that youve ever driven wasn't union made?

— 1995e34 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/3/2009 1:06:14 PM | | Votes: 3   

The UAW are anti-America and I will never buy any product built by them.

I pretty much despise all Unions. I have had many encounters with Union workers and I can't stand their brotherhood BS!

F them and they can go to hell!

— EL34 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/3/2009 1:33:36 PM | | Votes: -2   

So let me see you are just jelous of unions, i understand.

— 1UAW (View Profile)

Posted on 10/3/2009 2:16:04 PM | | Votes: 2   

sadly I'm with el34 on this one. Union's had there place during the industrial revolution. But now with an international marketplace if a worker doesn't like his employer he can go find a better employer. If he's a shitty employee he'll have difficulty, if he's a valuable employee he will find a job easily. Now they exist solely to rape companies of profitability by over paying the workers.

— Joe_Limon (View Profile)

Posted on 10/3/2009 5:43:13 PM | | Votes: 0   

Yup!!... I agree.... Unions killed the American car industry.....

— clsboy (View Profile)

Posted on 10/3/2009 10:18:42 PM | | Votes: -1   

why was the american industry so susceptible to unions while other countries' industries are doing fine?

— 1995e34 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/4/2009 12:31:44 AM | | Votes: 3   

That is a good question, lets ask 1UAW ^^

— Joe_Limon (View Profile)

Posted on 10/4/2009 1:54:41 AM | | Votes: 0   

because every other country has universal health care.

— 1995e34 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/4/2009 10:17:58 AM | | Votes: -1   

I will answer this question. Other countries are more loyale to thier own natoin than Americans. Its sad to say it but we are a country of individuals looking out for only ourselves and not each other. If you look at all of the countries that DO make cars 1. They do have nationlized health care (reduces the cost to do business) 2. They usaly only buy cars from thier own country.

— 1UAW (View Profile)

Posted on 10/5/2009 8:26:40 PM | | Votes: 1   

Joe I consider you one of the few open minded people on this board, so I know you realize that without the beginig of the union many Americans would not be able to enjoy the working conditions they take for granted today such as a lunch breaks, safe working conditions, fair wages, overtime, and days off i could go on and on but you get my point. These things are the norm for todays jobs but people actualy died for these rights, companies where not going to GIVE these rights away. If labor groups where to just go away you could kiss these rights good-bye as well. How can we rape companies of profits when we sit down with thw automakers and AGREE on terms and conditions of our contract together? Much the same way a contracted employee dose when he/she hammers out thier contract with there employer.

— 1UAW (View Profile)

Posted on 10/6/2009 12:00:43 AM | | Votes: 1   

I agree, during the industrial revolution union's revolutionized industry by providing a voice for the everyman. However, that was 200 years ago. In today's modern workforce companies have to work at retaining quality employees. During a slow down these quality employees are vital to maximizing a companies profits and keeping the company afloat. If industry slows down and a company still has to pay too much for employees that aren't productive enough... then that is where you have your problem. Yes the company and the unions do sit down to discuss contracts, but the union's main goal is to give as much to the workers as possible. If a company plans on investing it's capital in itself by retooling or expanding it's research and development it has to "steal" that money away from the unions first. If they "steal" to much away the unions strike and the companies lose even more money. As far as hourly wages go, unskilled labor and assembly line jobs should be $20 an hour MAX (i.e. wage after 20 years of employment). Starting wages should be about $15 an hour. Hiring someone to cut the grass or clean is a $10 an hour job, and should have no benefits or retirement package included. This being a competitive "tough" economy right now employees should be actively seeking post secondary educations to make themselves valuable, not crossing their fingers hoping that they can stand in line beside their fathers assembling seat cushions.

— Joe_Limon (View Profile)

Posted on 10/6/2009 12:47:10 AM | | Votes: -1   

Is the SYNC any good i have yet to put my hands on it.

— 1UAW (View Profile)

Posted on 10/3/2009 2:18:31 PM | | Votes: 0   

SYNC is great...best thing Ford has done in 30 years

001

— Agent001 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/3/2009 4:09:18 PM | | Votes: 1   

001, you give Americans way too much credit, I bet you that there would be a large number of bitter Americans who would buy the "Jihad" just to stick it to the Arabs.

As a matter of fact, if there were no media backlash and the pundits kept quiet, if Ford released a car called the Jihad that did the following:
1. Styling cool of the Volt
2. Fuel efficiency of the Fusion
3. Handling/performance a step above the Camry
3. Priced $21,000
4. Showcased in the next big summer blockbuster movie
5. Iran openly criticizing the car's name.

I'm pretty certain it would be the best selling American car.

— quizz (View Profile)

Posted on 10/3/2009 3:01:53 PM | | Votes: -6   

You think a Camry handles well lmo!

— 1UAW (View Profile)

Posted on 10/3/2009 3:32:32 PM | | Votes: 6   

i put panoz...and got deboosted as well

— 1995e34 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/3/2009 6:16:43 PM | | Votes: -1   

I can't believe you don't like the Korean built Aveo. I guess your patriotism is only for the company you work for.

— kornholio (View Profile)

Posted on 10/3/2009 6:56:51 PM | | Votes: 3   

Why do you hold the volt as best car in the world? Could you rate a 1-10 scale for the importance of each of the following (1 being not important, 10 being of critical importance)?

Style:
Performance:
Fuel Economy:
Image:
Comfort:
Badge:

— Joe_Limon (View Profile)

Posted on 10/3/2009 7:23:24 PM | | Votes: -3   

— Joe_Limon:

> Why do you hold the volt as best car in the world?

Let me respond in the context of any plug-in hybrid/range extended electric car.

Such vehicles will accomplish a few crucial tasks:

1. They will shift carcinogenic pollution from densely populated areas in cities and around main roads to sparsely populated surroundings of power stations (which are also the subject of very strict emission control unlike, say, vehicle exhaust systems).

2. They will shift energy dependence to fossil fuels that will peak much later than oil, giving humanity more time to develop technologies shifting us into something more like sustainability state. Peak oil is likely happening now (please see the excellent article maintained by the scientific task force: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_oil), peak gas/coal will happen much later.

3. When in the range extending/charge sustaining mode, they will compensate for internal combustion engine dramatic flaw - its one single top efficiency point (in terms of amount of fuel burnt to produce a unit of energy, namely the brake specific fuel consumption BSFC). Because demanded power output from an engine is very volatile (various acceleration, cruising, idle), engines rarely work in their point of peak efficiency (located at given revs and given torque produced, see here: http://images.google.com/images?q=bsfc). In a plug in hybrid, the ICE engine will mostly work in this point, producing maybe a bit more energy than average demand is for vehicle propulsion. Any temporary demand for high power will be covered by the battery, acting as an energy buffer/capacitor. Any temporary demand for low power will cause the engine to shut down.

This is a simple and truly brilliant workaround for the ICE flawed characteristic. Then, a small all electric range perfectly complies with average driving patterns (lots of short trips, then lengthy stops). These are two killer features, only available for plug-in hybrid cars. This will make such design the best individual transportation solution possible.

What's more, a lot of electricity is produced from renewable (hydro) or low carbon (nuclear) sources. Then, lots of electric power is wasted these days because of thermal power plants inertia and inability to accommodate to low nightly demand. Plug-in hybrid cars will swallow this energy, currently wasted, for good use.


> Could you rate a 1-10 scale for the importance of each of the
> following (1 being not important, 10 being of critical importance)?

Well, it's just my biased personal opinion, not a fact, anyway:

Style: 8 -needs to be distinctive due to psychological reasons, just like in case of the Prius

Performance: 3 - needs to be acceptable, just not awfully slow, nothing more

Fuel Economy: 10 - that's the heart and soul of this car

Image: 8 - Volt will cost a lot, buyers will want to feel differentiated by their new wheels (similar to Prius effect too)

Comfort: 5 - accep

— downtoearth (View Profile)

Posted on 10/3/2009 9:58:26 PM | | Votes: 2   

Comfort: 5 - acceptable level comfort will do fine, only sound proofing will need to be rethought as in all electric mode lots of noises ordinarily masked by an engine working will come out

Badge: 3 - mainstream badge will do fine, the manufacturer themselves need to use a mainstream badge for the halo effect to work on where they sell most cars

— downtoearth (View Profile)

Posted on 10/3/2009 9:58:57 PM | | Votes: 2   

I see... that is a very utilitarian view point. One which I do not share so rather then arguing, here are my ratings.

Style:9 A car must be visually appealing, in the case of the volt... the original concept was dramatic and looked good. The production version however looks simply like another sedan, I find it heavily lacks in what originally caught my attention.
Performance:8 A car must react the way I want it to, if I am in an underpowered car, or a car which exhibits excessive body roll, or has a very slow reaction time to driver inputs it is like being handicapped, sure you don't need to run all the time but knowing you can't run limits ones feelings of freedom.
Fuel Economy:3 My first car got 7mpg out of a 3.8L v6, it does add up so I gave this subheading a few points. Gas prices are relative to what you think are expensive. If you want to save money buying a car, let alone a new car is the last thing you should be doing.
Image:7 The world is a very shallow place. If you want to impress an employer/clients don't drive an expensive car. If you buy a 20 year old cargo van certain people will think you are a pedophile, if you buy a compact car certain people will think you don't have money to spend or don't like spending it on vehicles, if you buy a hybrid certain people will think you follow a green agenda, if you buy a sedan certain people will think you had to settle with it because you have a family, and finally if you buy a sports car people will think you are either arrogant, having a midlife crisis or live for your car (and probably spend too much time/money on it). I'll stick with the last option thank you.
Comfort:5 A car mustn't be painful to drive. Leather has issues with hot/cold so fabric seats are far more luxurious imo.
Badge:4 Unreliable brands stand out. Fortunately now a day they are few and far in between.

— Joe_Limon (View Profile)

Posted on 10/3/2009 11:07:53 PM | | Votes: -2   

Oh yes, forgot about the compensation part of sports cars. If you apply reverse logic to it however, would the guys who buy these cars fully knowing about that negative stereotype be the ones who are the most secure in their own masculinity?

— Joe_Limon (View Profile)

Posted on 10/4/2009 2:01:27 AM | | Votes: 2   

Camaro is to cartoonish

— bfghemicuda (View Profile)

Posted on 10/4/2009 9:44:45 PM | | Votes: 0   

Its an opel insignia with a different badge.

— veyron1001 (View Profile)

Posted on 10/5/2009 6:52:34 PM | | Votes: 1   

And a ferrari is ahahahaha

— Joe_Limon (View Profile)

Posted on 10/6/2009 6:53:03 PM | | Votes: 2