A challenge I did not foresee when I first created TrueDelta’s apples-to-apples car comparison tool in 2004: the flood of high-tech, software-centric features that would emerge in the following decade. It turns out auto makers are also bewildered. Which new high-tech features will buyers demand in their next car? Which can they afford to delay or never being work on?… More →
Category: Vehicle Technology
Vehicle Technology
Keeping today’s cars alive a decade from now
Consumer electronics aren’t designed to last more than a few years. After all, advances in technology render computers and phones obsolete long before many of them have a chance to fail. Many people expect their cars to last at least a dozen years. If the car is a desirable one, enthusiasts would like to keep it going…forever. But will this… More →
Rear-wheel-drive: still a disadvantage for many drivers?
Back in the 1980s GM, Ford, and Chrysler transitioned nearly all of their rear-wheel-drive cars to front-wheel-drive. The primary reason: front-wheel-drive cars inherently weigh a little less because there’s no need for a driveshaft running about half the length of the car, and reducing weight helps fuel economy. Other reasons included the superior space efficiency of front-wheel-drive cars, since the… More →
Do built-in navigation systems make sense?
First popular in Japan, navigation systems that are built into the vehicle have become a must-have option in the U.S. as well. Very common in luxury cars, they’re increasingly common in mainstream models. But do they even make sense? The advantages of built-in navigation systems are clear: you get a larger screen, a cleaner installation, and less risk of theft.… More →
A nation of torque junkies
Back in the Golden Age of Detroit, owners of imported sports cars viewed the drivers of big block domestic “muscle cars” as unintelligent unsophisticated knuckledraggers. After all, true connoisseurs of the automobile knew that the real joys were in skillfully working the pedals, shifter, and steering, not in being able to deprive one’s frontal lobe of oxygen through the simple act of putting one’s… More →
2008’s many new infotainment features: the implication for depreciation
The 2008 models are starting to arrive. I’ve driven two so far–the Dodge Avenger and the Ford Escape–and just uploaded pricing for these and five other early 2008s. The big news is that infotainment systems are gaining many new features. Satellite radio is a few years old now. OnStar is even older. Navigation and Bluetooth are now available in cars the… More →
Save the concept, give us production: Take 2
Earlier today I posted a blog entry suggesting that GM made a mistake showing the Volt. And now I’ve come across an instance where GM showed a promising concept three years ago, but has let someone else be the first to actually offer such a product.
Why GM shouldn’t have shown us the Chevrolet Volt
It’s becoming clear that the biggest news at this years Detroit auto show was GM’s introduction of the Chevrolet Volt. I didn’t pay much attention to it myself, figuring that no matter how you look at it this introduction was a mistake. An article by Sharon Terlep in yesterday’s Detroit News suggests that at least some people inside GM thought… More →
Best new tech: direct injection
Automobile Magazine recently recognized stability control as its “technology of the year.” As much as I value this feature, the award confuses me, as stability control has been widely available for a few years. I’d have given the award to direct injection instead.