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Category: Ford

Focus Fanatics weigh in on new coupe

After talking to Thomas Tang, the co-founder of Focusfantatics.com, I asked him if a few of the enthusiasts on his website might send me their thoughts on the new Ford Focus.

Ford does not pay these people anything, they all join the website (there are 55,000 members) because they love their Focus - and I've learned they are also the sharpest critics.

Here is what some of the hardcore Focus owners think of the new coupe (I've edited some of the comments for length only):

"I have recently seen the 2009 Focus (coupe) redesign and I must hand it to ... Ford. It looks great! I own a 2002 SVT Focus. It's my favorite car... I saw the 08 focus and hated it so much. Too much chrome and just way too much flair. (It) looked very geared to an old crowd. Then I saw the redesign of the 09 and now I am sold again. I love it. I think Ford is taking a step in the right direction by taking some of the looks of the svt focus and adding it to this new focus. I'll be at Ford as soon as this car comes out.

Category: GM

Cadillac CTS-V breaks Nurburgring record

OK, so if you haven't heard, the mega powerful CTS-V blew away everyone in Germany on the Nurburgring, with a time of 7 minutes 59 seconds -- not bad for the fastest production time car ever to take the track there. Here's the video by GM.

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Category: other

Leave a message at the bleep, bleep, bleep

I used to like checking my voice mail.

But Monday filled up with one message. "I hate Japanese companies." I say one message, though 15 different people left the same message - just in different voices.

The inspiration for the blowhard voice mails was a short story I wrote about "Autoline Detroit" the local television show hosted by John McElroy.

The show went out to California for two weeks and came back with 11 half-hour episodes taking a long look at the success of the carmakers based in southern California. There will be pieces on Toyota, Honda, Mazda and Hyundai. Between the deep dives (a journalist's term for in-depth stories) John also talks to California reporters, environmentalists and others about the state and its impact on the auto industry world wide.

None of that insight was left on my voice mail. Just a lot of frustration that has transformed into hate and venom.

Last week's show had three LA based reporters talk about the auto industry in California and some of the mistakes Detroit has made. Good stuff really. But not to our Detroit's viewers, as far as I can tell.

I've got news for all of those gutless anonymous callers who decided to try and rub off their vitriol on me on a Saturday morning. It doesn't work. While I understand the frustration, I believe that turning your head on what's happening in out west is as smart as the Edsel. Fight change all you want, but only a fool does the same thing again and again and expects new results.

More journalists need to spend time in California and see where the industry will be in 10 years. As much as I disagree with environmentalists on the future of global warming or even the impact of emissions on the environment, that ship has sailed.

California was gobbling up foreign cars long before the rest of America joined in the craze - and some how Detroit seems surprised by the market swing.

If someone is eating your lunch, you don't call a columnist to complain say you hate lunch thieves - you do something about it.

I still like my voice mail, and everyone is welcome to leave a message, just know at the first racially charged epithet, I delete it. Discussion, ideas, forward thinking, those are the things of the future.

Name callers and do nothings will simply be left behind.

Category: Other

Driver dies in amateur LeMons race

The annual race of clunkers known as the 24 Hours of LeMons -- turned tragic yesterday when one of the racers was killed in an accident.

Jalopnik.com, the automotive enthusiasts' website, which had a car in the race, has been covering the incident since it happened.

The race, which began in 2006, challenges teams to build a race car for $500 or less and then race it for 24 hours.

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Category: Ford

Sync up your '08 Navigator

Ford dealers can now install Sync on the 2008 Lincoln Navigator.

Ford's voice command interface that connects a car to a driver's phone and music player device is continuing to be a big hit for the car maker. It has sold more than 100,000 Sync systems since debuting it in the 2008 Ford Focus last fall.

The Blue Oval expects to sell more than 1 million Sync systems by early 2009. If you haven't tried it, it's really incredible. Push a button and ask the car to play The Dead Kennedys and voila' that beautiful guitar riff starting off Holiday in Cambodia has begun.

The only 08 Lincolns that qualify for Sync must have been built after Dec. 4, 2007 and come with the Elite option package that includes voice activated navigation and rear seat DVD player.

But if you have those systems and qualify, I would wholly recommend having the system installed.

If you don't know much about sync, check this out.

Category: Environment

Monday morning reading: The environment

An alert reader sent me a link to this column by Colin Flaherty: Ecophobia: Environmentalists as the new Environmental Disaster.

It wouldn't be so funny, if it wasn't true.

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Category: VW

Ten years and counting

The New Beetle celebrates its 10th birthday this year. The iconic vehicle, which debuted at the Detroit auto show in 1994 as "Concept 1" arrived in America four years later. Since then, VW has managed to sell more than a million of these criters -- which was based on the original German people's car. (VW has sold 500,000 in the U.S. Ten years later it still comes with a bud vase on the dash -- though VW maintains it's called an inspiration pod. The convertible version of the new Beetle arrived a few years later, but I've always liked the way that one looked, so I've included a few photos of both.

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Category: Audi

New A3 arrives this fall

Audi will bring an overhauled A3 to America this fall, the German carmaker announced last week.

While there is only one photo to show you, the list of improvements are impressive. Overall, I like this hatchback, though its price can get a little steep if you want too many options. The premium compact segment is one I expect to continue to grow in the coming years. People moving out of SUVs have higher standards than most compact cars offer - though you're beginning to see more luxurious compacts introduced. (The Toyota Corolla now has an optional navigation system.) And many more traditional compacts will certainly follow that plan - perhaps creating a high-end trim package.

But the Europeans have been dealing with luxury compacts for years - look at the Ford Focus in Europe as an example. Other contenders include the BMW 1 Series, the Volvo C30 and Audi's A3. Each is the lowest entry in that company's line up, but none lack for luxury.

The new A3, according to Audi, will include:

A new transmission with paddle shifters.

Styling changes to the exterior.

A five-door model.

Magnetic ride (shock absorbers that uses a magnets to control the ride, allowing the driver to select two different ride modes.)

Those really cool headlights with the touch of LEDs outlining the top of them.

Overall, for someone looking for a compact in the mid-twenties with a lot of options but a small body, the A3 may fit the bill. However, the A4 is due out this summer and it's the one I'm really looking forward to driving. Redesigned from the ground up, it will be priced in the high twenties, but looks to give a lot of carmakers a run for their money.

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Category: Small Cars

The best of the small cars

Kelley Blue Book just released its 10 best small vehicles.

Technically, size had nothing to do with the car's cool factor, it was price.

So KBB used $18,000 as the peak price -- what are the coolest cars under $300 a month?

Here's Kelley Blue Book's picks and the editor's thinking behind it (the order is alphabetical):

2008 Ford Focus

"Cool" might not be the first word that pops into your head upon seeing the new Ford Focus, but don't judge this book by its cover. The Focus sedan and coupe are the most affordable cars in which you can get the SYNC music and phone integration system that allows you, for instance, to play any song in your digital library simply by saying its name. That's cool.

MSRP: $15,280

My take: I like the new Focus, it's cheap and a decent ride. If you listen to an iPod, SYNC is the single best option you can buy.

2008 Honda Fit

With gas prices on the rise, small cars like the Honda Fit are gaining in popularity. The Fit sips gasoline and offers the sportiest driving experience available in an econo-car. Plus, the seats can be configured in multiple arrangements, so it can easily hold things like your friends, your gear or a medium-sized alpaca (according to a photo on Honda's Web site, anyway).

MSRP: $14,585

My Take: This is a top subcompact. It may be a little goofy looking, but it's fun to drive and offers great utility.

2008 Jeep Patriot

The Jeep Patriot has a classic look reminiscent of the departed Jeep Cherokee plus a functional interior and a sub-$18,000 price tag -- even when equipped with four-wheel drive. Combined with highway fuel economy up to 28 miles per gallon, the Patriot delivers a cool mix of SUV-like versatility and car-like efficiency for buyers on a budget.

MSRP: $16,055

My Take: This wouldn't make my list. It's interior is too cheap and I agree with the purist Jeepies: If it can't go off road, it shouldn't be a Jeep.

2008 Mazda3

On our list for the fifth year in a row and still in its first generation, the Mazda3 is the current elder statesman of cool compact cars. Available in four- and five-door layouts, the dynamic Mazda3 is responsive, quick and stylish, but also comfortable, efficient and practical.

MSRP: $17,230

My Take: This is a great little car. I really like the wagon version of the Mazda 3. And the Speed3 is more than most people should buy (and it's also more than $18K)

2008 Mitsubishi Lancer

The Mitsubishi Lancer's aggressive, rally-inspired looks belie a starting price of less than $15,000. The low cost of entry will leave many buyers with enough extra cash to add cool options like a hard-drive navigation system, an impressive premium audio system or perhaps a stylish spoiler.

MSRP: $14,615

My take: A really nice sedan for the price. Mitsubishi has restyled the Lancer to give it a much more aggressive look and the CVT gives it a boost in gas mileage. The back seat is comfortable and an overall good vehicle.

2009 Pontiac Vibe

The hot-looking Pontiac Vibe has always delivered a very cool combination of affordability, versatility and fuel economy. Compared with its predecessor, the new-for-'09, second-generation Vibe boasts a sportier look inside and out, more powerful engines and even a lower starting price.

MSRP: $15,895

My Take: Why wasn't the Matrix on the list? The Vibe is nice and provides a lot of utility for the money.

2008 Scion xB

The original "box on wheels" grew rounder, larger and more powerful for 2008, but the xB remains a distinctively styled non-conformist. Cool standard features include steering-wheel mounted audio controls, iPod integration and a choice of three wheel designs for instant customization at the dealership.

MSRP: $16,270

My Take: While I like the flat sided original xB more, this one is big enough to fit Americans. The iPod player is excellent and the vehicle overall is fun and a great first new vehicle for someone in their 20s. Especially if you find yourself moving from apartment to apartment.

2008 Subaru Impreza

With 170 horsepower, all-wheel drive and a double-wishbone rear suspension, the Subaru Impreza sedan adds a sporty and capable touch to our cool car selections. The five-door variant has a similar base price and suits those in need of more cargo room for their active lifestyles.

MSRP: $17,640

My Take: None yet: I haven't driven it.

2008 Suzuki SX4

This is the second year in a row that Suzuki's small crossover has made our list of cool cars under $18,000. In addition to a sporty exterior and roomy, stylish interior, the SX4 still has the distinction of being the least expensive all-wheel-drive vehicle sold in America.

MSRP: $15,395

My Take: The price is what sells this vehicle. Suzuki is starting offer some decent vehicles and using bargin basement prices to attract customers. Watch out Kia.

2008 Volkswagen Rabbit

The versatile and affordable Volkswagen Rabbit hopped its way onto our list with its perky 2.5-liter engine, comfortable ride, sharp handling and a level of interior refinement rivaling that of some much pricier vehicles.

MSRP: $16,250

My take: A fun vehicle to drive and zip around town. The hatch makes it very useful.

Category: Environment

Have SUVs become the next cigarette?

Big trucks just aren't fashionable any more.

Last November during the LA Auto Show, I was driving the ultra cool H2 SUT - a giant Hummer with a pickup bed. At the end of the day after covering the show - where GM won Green Truck of the Year -- I walked out to the Hummer and found a stack of tickets on it.

I was legally parked, but, apparently, driving a Hummer made me responsible for Global Warming and War. I don't think I'm responsible for either, but I was ready to crush a few hybrids on my way back to the hotel. I wasn't mad, or even annoyed, I just thought it might be fun. Hummers make you feel that way.

We'll overlook the fact that the eco-nut left a dozen of the paper tickets under my windshield wiper - oh the waste. The bigger problem is that SUV should now stand for Socially Unacceptable Vehicles. People love their comfort and utility but they don't love the judgmental neighbors or strangers frowning. Socially speaking, SUVs are as popular as cigarettes.

When people are surveyed, many will say they think the federal government should require car makers to build 35 mpg vehicles - that's some of the evidence green groups produced to help create the new CAFE standards. What those people mean, however, is carmakers should build 35 mpg SUVs. You can go out today and get fuel efficient vehicle from a load of carmakers - but that's not what American drivers want.

Yes, more are considering smaller vehicles as gas prices rise - it's called capitalism at work - and the only federal help has been obscene taxes placed on gas, the presidents weak dollar strategy and a few other mishaps - certainly nothing planned.

But if a person wants a big hulking SUV, can afford one, and can even afford to fill it up, shouldn't a consumer have the right to buy one?

For the moment, a he or she still can.

But I don't think it's far fetched for those dolts in DC, egged on by Greenies who think off-road driving is a snow covered parking lot in Aspen, to start banning them. They won't ever come right out and say you can't drive an SUV, but they will say, your SUV emits too much CO2 - and that's a no no. It's no longer what you can afford, or what you want, or even what you need, it's what your alleged impact on society might be, and not even today's society, but rather the unborn generation 100 or 500 years from now. (That really depends upon whose flawed computer model you're using to predict the downfall of mankind.)

After Congress passed its idiotic CAFE standards in December, Green groups, who clamored for years to have new CAFE standards, now say that just isn't enough.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy says it likes the new CAFE standards, but Therese Langer, ACEEE's Transportation Program Director added, "Unfortunately, the rule is marred by its gratuitous attack on states' actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles."

And lots more environmental groups have similar lines.

CO2 emissions and mileage are directly related, it's kind of the way internal combustion engines work. And either these groups know this but don't want to admit it or are just so dim witted they'd give the melodrama An Inconvenient Truth an Acadamy award as documentary. Afterall, they're the ones saying that cars contribute 10 percent of man's CO2 into the air (of course us Americans driving contribute 45 percent of that 10 percent or something like that. However, all of man's contributions to the atmosphere make up .28 percent (that's one quarter of one percent) of greenhouse gases - making car contributions .028 percent of all greenhouse gases. (To provide an example of how much that is: this entry is 837 words long .028 percent of that is 23 words - or 4 fewer words than this sentence.)

Facts do not matter to the environmental groups. And the ACEEE and lots of other environmental lobbyists don't care, they just don't like SUVs - and they're going to save us from them, guilt you out of them or devise a way to tax it to death: Registration fees tied to CO2 output, tighter tailpipe emissions in some states, making it impossible for carmakers to build them for others or any number of other ways. No doubt lawsuits from environmentalists are sure to follow. Imagine being sued by your neighbor because of your Toyota Land Cruiser's impact on their unborn great grand children.

Cigarettes were once fashionable. Now they're being taxed out of existence - to save our children, pets or wildlife (though our many layers of government need people to smoke so they can use the tax on it to pay for someone else's heath care.) States collected billions for future health care costs of smokers -- who now pay extra from insurance, and most states have wasted away that money. The true winners were the lawyers -- who no doubt, but really cool SUVs.

But the big vehicles will follow a similar path.

I don't know exactly how, but that ticket on my windshield suggests sooner rather than later -- after all, who wants to be responsible for war. Make them pariahs first, and their demise will follow.

After I got my ticket, I did what any responsible driver would do -- threw them on the street, revved the engine a few extra times and drove off.

I'd care if it was important, but this isn't.