They automotive press is increasingly fond of claiming that Toyota is going down the same path GM went down. But words are cheap. Did Toyota overexpand their production capacity just in time for a severe market downturn? Absolutely. But a single major strategic miscue does not inevitably lead to long-term decline. The real thing to pay attention to is not… More →
Month: August 2009
A 230 MPG EPA rating for the Chevrolet Volt
Back in September 2008 I suggested how gas mileage should be calculated for range-extended electric vehicles like the upcoming Chevrolet Volt: one set of numbers for electric use, and a second set for after the batteries have discharged. General Motors, of course, saw things differently. It wanted the highest possible numbers, both for CAFE and for advertising purposes. And it… More →
Is it fair to rate luxury car reliability on the same scale?
A new blog for the Land Rover Freelander charges that it’s not fair to rate the Freelander’s reliability using the same scale for all cars. The two reasons given: luxury car buyers are pickier, and luxury cars have more features. It might or might not be true that luxury car buyers are pickier. Many people have suggested this, but I’ve… More →
July is finally over. Well, almost.
The survey covering June ended today. July was not an easy month. The response rate was running two to three percent below the norm for much of the month. Not good, as this would have nearly cancelled out all of the people who joined in the last three months. And I’m not much for running unless it gets me somewhere.… More →