The upcoming Chevrolet Cruze, General Motors’ third attempt at the ever-important small car market (after the Cavelier and the Cobalt), is by all means a better car. Improved interior, engine packages, and a rumored 40+ MPG all add up to a great package. But one thing that stands out between the early pre-production versions and the newest pictures is a make or break for this car: Stance.

Stance is so important for any car, but especially for a small car that’s trying hard not to look like one. The Cruze has the potential to look much more upscale than it’s pricetag suggests, but only with the proper sporty stance.

The pre-production car above is low, sporty, and looks much more aggressive as a result. The latest production pictures below show a much less aggressive suspension setup, which makes the car look more like the econo-box that it’s trying NOT to be.

Filed under:
Chevrolet, General Motors by Brian

By far, the biggest story in the automotive industry in the last six months has been Toyota’s decision to halt sales of eight of its models, and announce recalls on the millions of vehicles currently on the road. You don’t need to read automotive blogs to know that Toyota has a reputation for value, quality, and above all, reliability. So the disaster caused by sticking accelerator pedals cannot be underestimated.

Ford and GM (as well as a few other automakers – Hyundai for one) have jumped on this as a chance to claim some sales. A chance for GM and Ford to “kick ‘em while they’re down” so to speak. Hey, it’s a competitive industry, now more than ever.

But for those who think Toyota’s massive stop-sale and recall are a sign of weakness and embarrasment, consider this: Both Ford and General Motors have had far worse mechanical defects, also resulting in deaths, but they handled it a bit differently – they covered them up. Then, when they couldn’t cover them up any longer, they simply paid people off and continued manufacturing the same deadly defect.

In Ford’s case, it was the Ford Pinto. The Pinto’s rear mounted fuel tank had a tendency to explode on impact, even if that impact was a relatively low-speed rear-end collision. In that famous case, lawyers at Ford and the government decided that the cost of one life was $1 million, and that’s what they paid out for each person killed in an exploding Pinto. Then they continued building and selling them as-is until the product line was discontinued.

GM had a similiar problem with Chevrolet trucks from 1973 to 1989. Their side-mounted fuel tanks also had a tendency to explode on low-speed crashes. GM’s own testing in the initial model year uncovered the issue, yet they continued to make them, virtually unchanged, for another 16 years. GM learned that it would cost $2.20 cents per vehicle to fix, and concluded that it was not cost-effective to implement. They covered it up as long as possible, even as test after test showed the defect in dramatic fashion.

So for each company to try and capitalize on Toyota’s defect is simply hypocritical, especially as Toyota has taken the very difficult but proper action of stopping sales and fixing the issue.

Consumers should keep this in mind: Cars are machines, and machines will always have defects; how will your car’s manufacturer react when their product poses a risk to you?

Filed under:
Ford, General Motors, Toyota by Brian

CNET reports that GM will be building it’s own electric motor plant in support of it’s hybrid vehicles. To quote CNET:

General Motors plans to open a $246 million factory in the U.S. to build electric motors for a hybrid vehicle platform due in three years.

Later this week, GM is expected to announce the location of the motor plant, which will be partially funded by a $105 million U.S. Department of Energy grant, company executives said on Monday. It says it’s the first U.S. automaker to design and build its own motors.

I have the usual feelings about taxpayer money going to GM YET again, and they’re not positive. GM has already blown through billions of our money, and although $105 million is a drop in the bucket by comparison, it’s still $105 million that could have gone to help families keep their homes. $105 million – I have no data on this, but I’m guessing that’s not much more than what GM handed out as bonuses this year.

But my biggest gripe with this is that GM feels the need to build a plant producing something that they’re not experts in. No other auto manufacturer builds their own electric motors, and there’s a reason for that – others can do it better, and cheaper.

I hope that GM succeeds, but if history proves anything to me, I can be assured that they likely won’t.

Filed under:
General Motors by Brian

All sites have their year end “best of” and “worst of” lists, and this one is no exception. And with that – the top 10 worst car names of all time:

10. Lincoln Zephyr - Besides being an odd word in general, can anyone tell me – what exactly IS a “zephyr”??

9. Chevrolet Cavalier- (noun), “one having the spirit or bearing of a knight; gallant; everything that the Chevy Cavalier is not.”

8. Pontiac Aztek - The Aztecs sacrifised countless people to the gods, and all they got was this lousy car named after them.

7. Chevy Celebrity – Worshipping celebrities is wrong. Naming a car “Celebrity” that any celebrity wouldn’t be caught dead in is even wronger.

6. Ford Aspire – Ford’s entry level small car in the 90’s was the “Aspire”, a small, bubble-like hatchback. Not exactly something to aspire to own, ever.

5. Plymouth Superbird – I don’t care how cool it was, how tall it’s spoiler was, or how much it’s worth nowadays. I don’t even care that it had the Road Runner plastered on its side. None of that negates the fact that “Superbird” is a dumb name.

4. Subaru Tribeca – It pains me, because I’m a huge Subaru fan, but Tribeca is a horrible name. Are we suppose to be impressed that it’s named after a ritzy New York neighborhood?

3. Ford Probe – Probe just has such a bad connotation, and it didn’t help that the car was shaped like something which, at 1:24 scale size, could potentially be a probe of *cough* some sort.

2. Oldsmobile Achieva – You obviously didn’t achieva much if you’re driving this car! *be-duh-ching!*

1. Daihatsu Charade – Easily the worst car name of all time. This can only be a case of translation gone awry. Who possibly wants to drive a charade? According to Dictionary.com, a charade is “a blatant pretense or deception, esp. something so full of pretense as to be a travesty.” JUST what I want in my next automobile!!

Filed under:
Uncategorized by Brian

On my way to work each morning, I have the great pleasure of driving on one of the worst roads in Seattle: Airport Way. From Leary Way north, Airport Way might as well be a stage in the World Rally Championships, or the Baja 1000. It’s bad. And in the last month, it’s become noticably worse. It’s amazing how, within the course of just a few days, an insignificant dimple in the pavement can grow into a wheel-bending monster of a pothole.

The other day, nearing downtown, I passed a city utility truck with a special logo: Pothole Rangers. From the look of their logo, and the sound of their name, I laughed to myself. I imagined there were two super heros piloting that vehicle. And with all of the potholes plaguing our roads this winter, that’s exactly what we need.

Filed under:
potholes by Brian

Who knew so many 40-50 year old, mullet-sportin’, top button un-buttoned, auto enthusiasts were taking to the web.

Full list below from Yahoo! Autos:

Most Searched Car Models for 2009
———————————–
1. 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
2. 2009 Honda Civic
3. 2009 Ford Mustang
4. 2009 Mini Cooper
5. 2009 Smart ForTwo
6. 2009 Honda Accord
7. 2010 Dodge Charger
8. 2010 Dodge Challenger
9. 2009 Jeep Wrangler
10. 2009 Mazda3

Filed under:
Camaro by Brian

I feel bad for the car…not so much the owner.

Filed under:
oddball news by Brian

Subaru is undoubetly a popular brand in the Northwest. All wheel drive is a definite plus, and a mesh of utility and comfort make Subaru an attractive choice, despite its unattractive looks. And Subaru has made great gains in the US and Canadian market in the last year, despite the recession. “Even” is the new gain in market share, and as other automaker’s sales have plummeted, Subaru’s have remained steady – even increased in some areas. But “good looking” is rarely heard when describing Suby’s.

The new hybrid concept is no exception. Subaru’s design team is seemingly made up of hormonal teens who gained access to state of the art design software. The giant gull-wing doors, exagerated bulges, and sharp, geometric lines all scream, “check out this sweet car I designed during American History class”. I know – I designed some of these same cars back in my teenage years. Gull-wing doors were a must.

C’mon Subaru. I know you’ll never listen to a two-bit blog from the Northwest, but you’d be wise to fire your entire design team and start over. Perhaps you can lure the team from Kia?

Filed under:
Subaru by Brian

Big news today regarding teenage drivers: Those who share a car are less likely to crash than teens who own their own car. In this study, 10% of teens who share a car were involved in crashes, whereas 25% of teens who own their own car were involved in a crash.

It seems to me that if you own your own car, you’re more likely to be driving more often. If you’re sharing a car, your time behind the wheel would be more limited. The study doesn’t mention time behind the wheel, but as a teen who had his own car, I can safely say I would go out of my way to find reasons to drive. More time = more opportunities to crash. DUH.

Filed under:
Uncategorized by Brian

What makes a “Northwest” car? Well, it has to be good in all types of weather and terrain. It has to be able to carry enough stuff to get you through a weekend outting to the mountains or beach. And, it has to be somewhat modest – afterall, this isn’t Hollywood. Without further adieu…

5) Ford Escape Hybrid: SUV’s are popular just about anywhere, but in the ever environmentally conscious Northwest, heading to the nearest Starbucks in your Escalade is looked down upon more and more. The Ford Escape is small but versatile, able to get all your gear up into the Cascades in relative comfort, and even if it’s not the hybrid (but especially so if it is), fuel efficient.

4) Volvo V70 Cross Country: Volvo?? Yes. Why? The Volvo V70 satisfies the Northwester’s need for luxury, comfort, and outdoorsy-ness. The Cross Country combines Volvo “built like a tank” safety with an ability to go off road on the local Forest Service roads. And it’s just as comfortable up in the mountains as it is traversing the Bellevue Square parking lot.

3) Ford F-150: This could be a “top 5″ vehicle for pretty much anywhere in the country, with exception of LA. Why the F-150? One word: Boating. People in the NW love to hit the water, and whether we like it or not that usually requires towing a boat to your nearest body of water. And well, the F-150 is the best selling truck for a reason.

2) Audi A4 Quattro: There are plenty of yuppies in the Northwest, and the A4 has become required attire for many of them. The Audis are just hip enough to be “not as yuppy-ish as a BMW or Mercedes”, but luxurious enough to show you’ve survived the dot-com bust. And the Quattro for obvious reasons – you can still zip through traffic in the rainy season.

1) Subaru Legacy/Outback Wagon: If ever there was an official car for the Northwest, it’s the Subaru Legacy. Nowhere in the country can you see more of them out on the road in one area. OK, I can’t actually verify that, but it’s probably true. All wheel drive, not pretentious, extremely durable and reliable, with room enough to carry just about everything you need, either in or on top. Popular with hippies, lesbians, computer nerds, and outdoorsmen alike, well, it doesn’t get more Northwest than that.

Filed under:
Audi, Ford, Subaru, Top 5, Volvo by Brian