The conventional wisdom endorsed by most, if not all, manufacturers is that for the first 500 or 1,000 miles a car should be driven gently, with no runs to the redline, and not at a constant speed (i.e. no cruise control). The reasoning: the rings need to properly seat, and any rough edges need to be smoothed off, before putting a great… More →
Month: January 2007
Incentives made complex
I just read over at GMInsideNews that General Motors has announced two new incentives. With the first, they give you an extra $1,000 if you trade in any 1999 or newer vehicle on a new large truck. In the other, they’ll give you an extra $1,000 if you lease a vehicle for 36 or more months. These incentives are in… More →
Are overseas models a solution for Detroit?
For at least a quarter-century, the U.S. automotive press has accused General Motors and Ford of failing to offer their best products in the domestic market. So it should stand to reason that, with Detroit again in trouble, that these companies would now be giving strong consideration to offering their European- or Australian-market products in the American market. GM’s plans… More →
Facts vs. emotions when choosing a new car
Over at GMInsideNews, Ghrankenstein recently posted an editorial on the biases of automotive information sources. He divides these into two camps: those that strive to make the car buying process rational, and those that assume it’s emotional. His point: the former camp overemphasizes criteria that can be reduced to numbers, while the latter overemphasizes the necessarily subjective driving experience. He places TrueDelta… More →
New Volvo S80: a Swedish Acura RL
A fierce debate has been raging over at Volvo forum Swedespeed. The thread got started when someone (without my knowledge) copied and pasted my entire review of the car (sadly without a link to the original, or even my name). I hadn’t posted about the review there myself since I had no desire to be flamebait, and assumed that Volvo people love… More →
Documentation fees
I frequently come across “$x above invoice” deals, and some of them look pretty good–at first glance. At some point, perhaps only when the time comes to sign the final paperwork, it’ll come out that the invoice price includes an advertising fee, and that a documentation fee is also extra. Suddenly, you’re as much as $1,400 over the price the… More →
Failure to communicate
I’m always asking for feedback on the site’s design. Responses generally fall into two groups: 1. Couldn’t be simpler 2. Couldn’t be more confusing Being the sort of person I am, I focus on the latter group. Which is usually a group of two or three, out of over 8,000 members, but I assume that for every person who speaks… More →
Website design – why so hard?
This morning’s article over at The Truth About Cars discusses the poor state of automotive website design based on an interview with a firm that studies it. I agree that most manufacturer sites are poorly designed. But I’m not sure I agree with the specific sites singled out. For example, MINI’s site is mentioned as one of the best. Yes, it’s flashy… More →
Thin rear brake pads
Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the TrueDelta Vehicle Reliability Survey is that it excludes brand pads and rotors as wear items. Many people have legitimate complaints about pads that wore out too soon or rotors that required turning or replacement too often. So why not have them report this as an issue? Because defining what counts as “too soon,” given all… More →
Why doesn’t Detroit like power recline?
If you haven’t noticed already, I’m fixated on seats, specifically how many ways they adjust. An earlier blog entry pondered the rarity of adjustable side bolsters. TrueDelta’s price comparison tool lists each seat adjustment separately. And now this blog entry.