I’ve written about this before, but it bears repeating. People frequently complain to me about how their car handles in the snow. Sometimes they ask which car they should buy instead. Well, the problem usually isn’t the car. It’s the tires. Some tires handle much better than others in the snow. And winter tires handle best of all. I’ve been… More →
Category: Car Features
Car Features
What’s Mercedes thinking?
Every once in a while while checking the car pricing data I come across something that must be an error, except it isn’t. I came across such a case when going over the 2009 Mercedes ML350 today. On the ML350 you can get leather upholstery. And you can get a “Heating Package,” which includes heated seats in both rows and… More →
Why doesn’t the rear window go all the way down?
For years I’ve come across complaints that the rear side window of this or that car doesn’t go all the way down. Often people assume the reason for this is safety, to prevent children from falling out of a moving car. Well, that’s not the reason, at least not the primary reason. Especially in this age of mandatory car seats,… More →
Jeep improves interiors
Well, now I know what Chrysler had been up to. Few if any new products are on the horizon–no surprise, since the company seems very unlikely to survive in anything resembling its present form. But every Jeep model except the Wrangler did receive an upgraded interior this year. Too bad they didn’t take this step back when Jeeps were still… More →
Push, pull, left, right: no standard way to shift an automatic. Should there be?
Over the past decade manually shiftable automatics (and more recently, automated manuals) have become increasingly common. And yet there’s no standard way to operate the things. With BMW and Mazda pushing the lever forward downshifts, and pulling it backward upshifts. With other makes (and I believe even older BMWs), it’s the opposite. With paddles on the steering wheel, somtimes you… More →
Leather, leather everywhere
When I first set up the pricing database, it distinguished only between partial leather and leather. But the database now includes all non-exotic luxury cars, and manufacturers have been adding more leather to their luxury car interiors. In the last year or so leather-upholstered instrument panels have become increasingly available in the segment. At a lower price point, first Mercedes… More →
Chrome…or not
It has irked me for some time that TrueDelta’s price comparison tool does not make finer distinctions in two areas: wheels and upholstery. So a few weeks ago I decided to undertake what I thought would be a minor task, and upgrade the features database to include finer distinctions in these areas and a few additional features that have only… 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 →
2008 Chrysler minivans — the most kid-friendly vehicles ever
The new Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan have exterior styling dictated by interior packaging (i.e. they’re very boxy) and their interiors look and feel lower in quality than those of many competitors. But if kids were making the buying decision, Chrysler’s minivan market share would probably be close to 100 percent. Kids don’t care about exterior styling or interior… More →
MyGig Quagmire – or, why I hate pricing Chryslers this year
In three 2007 models (Chrysler Sebring, Dodge Nitro, Jeep Wrangler) and in most of its 2008s Chrysler offers what it calls a “MyGig Infotainment System.” It looks like a great system for media-savvy car buyers. But it’s pure hell for those of us maintaining a car pricing database. The miracle of MyGig is that it can combine a large number… More →