Bad news for Saturn. Penske just announced that they are backing away, because they are concerned about vehicle availability from GM going forward. WSJ: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125434260817353567.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
"Unintended Acceleration", Don't Pray, THINK
This morning on the radio, I heard the audio from a 911 distress call that a man placed while driving an out of control Lexus. This was one of the events which precipated the massive Toyota floor mat recall. Apparently, his accelerator pedal was stuck to the floor, and his brakes weren't working (he probably boiled them, or perhaps, the brake pedal was obstructed). He called 911 in a panic, and the operator just had time to suggest that he turn the car off, before the man said "We're coming to an intersection... pray!", and that was the end. The man and his three passengers were killed.
He didn't need to pray. He just needed to think. He panicked, and got himself and his family tragically killed because he wasn't able to use his cars multiple redundant controls.
Suppose your gas pedal is stuck to the floor. What can you do?
He didn't need to pray. He just needed to think. He panicked, and got himself and his family tragically killed because he wasn't able to use his cars multiple redundant controls.
Suppose your gas pedal is stuck to the floor. What can you do?
- Use your toe to try to lift the pedal. This actually happened to me once, that a piece of trash got jammed next to the pedal, and I had to physically pull it up to free it.
- If that doesn't work, put your car into neutral. Then use the brakes.
- If your normal brakes won't work (they're cooked, or loss of vacuum) you can use your emergency (aka parking) brake to slow your car
- If all else fails, kill the power to the engine by turning off the key. If you don't have a key but have push button start, no big deal. On many systems, pressing and holding the engine start button will force it to stop.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
NHTSA: Toyota Owners Remove Floor Mats
NHTSA has an urgent message to owners of many Toyota vehicles:
This will probably become a massive recall later, potentially affecting millions of vehicles, and a may be another chip in Toyota's quality reputation.
Meanwhile, owners of Chrysler, Ford, and GM may continue to enjoy their floor mats.
Sorry, I can't resist a little schadenfreude.
- 2007-2010 Camry
- 2005-2010 Avalon
- 2004-2009 Prius
- 2005-2010 Tacoma
- 2007-2010 Tundra
- 2007-2010 ES 350
- 2006-2010 IS 250 and IS350
This will probably become a massive recall later, potentially affecting millions of vehicles, and a may be another chip in Toyota's quality reputation.
Meanwhile, owners of Chrysler, Ford, and GM may continue to enjoy their floor mats.
Sorry, I can't resist a little schadenfreude.
On Paddle Shifters
More and more cars now ofter steering wheel mounted shift levers for cars that have fully automatic transmissions. These are an imitation of the semi-automated manual transmissions typically used in high performance and full-bore race cars such as the Ferrari 430.
I think this is silly.
Real paddle-shift transmissions are basically automated mechanical transmissions which do not have torque converters; they have replaced the clutch and stick with the paddles. On a high-end sportscar, they makes sense, as an alternative to a traditional manual with 3 pedals on the floor.
On a consumer grade car with a torque converter type automatic transmission, the paddles are a gimmick, and I doubt anyone uses them.
If the car won't stall because you forgot to shift with the paddles, it's not authentic, in my book. If you don't need to interact with it unless you feel "sporty" that day, it is a toy. Part of the fun of driving a true manual transmission car (which I do) is that you have to do your job ot make the car move. If my car had a dual-clutch automated manual transmission, I'd be thrilled, but I would probably never use the manual override. I'd put it in D and go.
I think this is silly.
Real paddle-shift transmissions are basically automated mechanical transmissions which do not have torque converters; they have replaced the clutch and stick with the paddles. On a high-end sportscar, they makes sense, as an alternative to a traditional manual with 3 pedals on the floor.
On a consumer grade car with a torque converter type automatic transmission, the paddles are a gimmick, and I doubt anyone uses them.
If the car won't stall because you forgot to shift with the paddles, it's not authentic, in my book. If you don't need to interact with it unless you feel "sporty" that day, it is a toy. Part of the fun of driving a true manual transmission car (which I do) is that you have to do your job ot make the car move. If my car had a dual-clutch automated manual transmission, I'd be thrilled, but I would probably never use the manual override. I'd put it in D and go.
The Truth About TTAC
The Truth About Cars (TTAC) was started by Robert Farrago, an auto blogger whose calling cards were coprolalia and an obsession with predicting the death of GM.
So Farrago turned out to be sort of right about GM, they did go bankrupt, though it is still very alive and kicking.
However, not so much for Farrago's blogging career at TTAC. The media company that owned TTAC just about stopped paying its writers, and then sold the site to another media company. Money was still a problem, so Farrago left.
Score: Farrago 1, GM 2.
I'll give RF credit for riding the GM-dies horse so hard and long, because after all, he turned out to be right. But I've always been annoyed at TTAC's style. Farrago, if you remember, was the one who compared a Subaru front end design to a woman's genitals, and then was outraged that he wasn't going to be offered free press cars to drive anymore. TTAC under Farrago didn't necessarily do anything better than any other automotive news site, they just did it louder.
So Farrago turned out to be sort of right about GM, they did go bankrupt, though it is still very alive and kicking.
However, not so much for Farrago's blogging career at TTAC. The media company that owned TTAC just about stopped paying its writers, and then sold the site to another media company. Money was still a problem, so Farrago left.
Score: Farrago 1, GM 2.
I'll give RF credit for riding the GM-dies horse so hard and long, because after all, he turned out to be right. But I've always been annoyed at TTAC's style. Farrago, if you remember, was the one who compared a Subaru front end design to a woman's genitals, and then was outraged that he wasn't going to be offered free press cars to drive anymore. TTAC under Farrago didn't necessarily do anything better than any other automotive news site, they just did it louder.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Review: 2010 Ford Taurus
I thought I would make an effort to test-drive a 2010 Ford Taurus, since it is an important product for Ford, and I am familiar with the previous incarnation. I talked my mom into buying a used Five Hundred based on the big room, excellent safety, and big depreciation.
I went to my local Ford dealer and test drove a shiny metallic white Limited, the top of the line. It had the Sony sound system, navigation, SYNC, push-button start, keyless entry, adaptive cruise control, and blind spot warning system.
The car is still quite large, but Ford did a good job making it look less huge. Instead of a large dome-on-a-box shape, the new Taurus looks more like a blunt wedge. The compromise here is that the interior head space is smaller than the old model, and the rearward visibility is not very good. Which may be one reason why they chose to add the blind spot warning and rear view camera as options. The trunk is still huge.
I like the re-style. It is distinctive without being outlandish (see Chrysler 300) or derivative (see Avalon). It is definitely not bland-but-functional like the Five Hundred was.
The driving experience was overall pretty good. The powertrain is smooth and quiet, and gives more than adequate power, though it is not a muscle car. Steering feel was excellent, with good on-center precision and crisp response for such a large car. The ride was somewhere in between family car soft and sports car hard, about right for that size of vehicle. I didn't feel like I was in a race car, but I did feel like I was well connected to the road.
The interior is very nice. Ford did a good job putting together an attractive interior without being too blingy (see: MKS). I was particularly impressed with the door panels, which look like they are actual stitched leather, but are in fact high fidelity moldings of stitched leather. I did feel that the center stack was a bit on the wide side, eating up some valuable driver space. There was liberal use of fake wood (which I am not a fan of), but the fake wood was good quality, and it looked a lot like actual wood.
I liked the implementation of keyless entry and start. You walk up to the car, and swipe the hidden door pillar keypad with your finger. The door unlocks. You get in, buckle in, press the brake pedal, and push the start button. The engine fires up and you go. Very quick and easy. The only issue I noticed with this is that I would personally have to re-train myself to lock the car by hitting the door button, since you don't need to hang on to the key fob.
Adaptive Cruise Control was fascinating to use, but had a few weaknesses. If the guy in front of you slams on his brakes, the system flashes a large row of red LEDs to warn you that you need to brake--apparently it is limited in how much braking it can command. Also, the system can not brake the car completely to a stop and then start rolling again, instead it disables itself if your speed drops too low (I tried). It was neat, but not worth the cost in my opinion.
My test drive car had the paddle shifters, which are pretty silly. I found myself fiddling with them because they were there, but I can't think of time when I actually would want to use them. A simple 'L' would be fine for most people, to allow engine braking down grades. I can't believe anyone is fooled into thinking the paddle shifters are "sporty". Message to Ford (and everyone else): If the car won't stall because you forgot to paddle shift, the paddle shifters aren't real.
Some annoyances: the foot-actuated parking/emergency brake was carried over from the Five Hundred as a pedal on the driver's left kick-panel. Ford should move the e-brake to the center console like most modern cars.
Another problem for me is the poor rearward visibility. Between the short rear window and intrusive rear head restraints, the rear view mirror has a poor field of view. Ford should have imitated Volvo and installed pivoting (they don't have to be powered) rear headrests. Normally if you know how to adjust your mirrors, you wouldn't need a blind spot warning system. But on the Taurus, it is helpful because of the poor corner visibility through the rearview mirror.
I was able to find a comfortable driving position, but in my favorite spot, the top buttons of the center console were hard to reach because of the steep rake. As stylish as a swoopy center stack is, I think a steeper angle would have been better for me ergonomically.
SYNC worked well and the navigation system was good looking and easy to use. However, I don't think there is a way to customize the SYNC voice, which my $150 TomTom offers. SYNC also does offer a way to dictate outbound text messages or emails, which would be very useful. The Sony branded sound system sounded good to me.
Overall, I enjoyed driving the Limited. If I bought one, I would buy a cheaper variant (MSRP ~$38,000). If I needed a larger car, or wanted something with some heft, I would definitely consider a 2010 Taurus. Consider the competition: Chevrolet Impala? Ancient platform, mushy, rental-car queen. Toyota Avalon? A big bland mushy couch on wheels. Chrysler 300? Old product, rough interior, though RWD is a plus. Buick LaCrosse? Zzzzzzz.
Stuff I Liked:
I went to my local Ford dealer and test drove a shiny metallic white Limited, the top of the line. It had the Sony sound system, navigation, SYNC, push-button start, keyless entry, adaptive cruise control, and blind spot warning system.
The car is still quite large, but Ford did a good job making it look less huge. Instead of a large dome-on-a-box shape, the new Taurus looks more like a blunt wedge. The compromise here is that the interior head space is smaller than the old model, and the rearward visibility is not very good. Which may be one reason why they chose to add the blind spot warning and rear view camera as options. The trunk is still huge.
I like the re-style. It is distinctive without being outlandish (see Chrysler 300) or derivative (see Avalon). It is definitely not bland-but-functional like the Five Hundred was.
The driving experience was overall pretty good. The powertrain is smooth and quiet, and gives more than adequate power, though it is not a muscle car. Steering feel was excellent, with good on-center precision and crisp response for such a large car. The ride was somewhere in between family car soft and sports car hard, about right for that size of vehicle. I didn't feel like I was in a race car, but I did feel like I was well connected to the road.
The interior is very nice. Ford did a good job putting together an attractive interior without being too blingy (see: MKS). I was particularly impressed with the door panels, which look like they are actual stitched leather, but are in fact high fidelity moldings of stitched leather. I did feel that the center stack was a bit on the wide side, eating up some valuable driver space. There was liberal use of fake wood (which I am not a fan of), but the fake wood was good quality, and it looked a lot like actual wood.
I liked the implementation of keyless entry and start. You walk up to the car, and swipe the hidden door pillar keypad with your finger. The door unlocks. You get in, buckle in, press the brake pedal, and push the start button. The engine fires up and you go. Very quick and easy. The only issue I noticed with this is that I would personally have to re-train myself to lock the car by hitting the door button, since you don't need to hang on to the key fob.
Adaptive Cruise Control was fascinating to use, but had a few weaknesses. If the guy in front of you slams on his brakes, the system flashes a large row of red LEDs to warn you that you need to brake--apparently it is limited in how much braking it can command. Also, the system can not brake the car completely to a stop and then start rolling again, instead it disables itself if your speed drops too low (I tried). It was neat, but not worth the cost in my opinion.
My test drive car had the paddle shifters, which are pretty silly. I found myself fiddling with them because they were there, but I can't think of time when I actually would want to use them. A simple 'L' would be fine for most people, to allow engine braking down grades. I can't believe anyone is fooled into thinking the paddle shifters are "sporty". Message to Ford (and everyone else): If the car won't stall because you forgot to paddle shift, the paddle shifters aren't real.
Some annoyances: the foot-actuated parking/emergency brake was carried over from the Five Hundred as a pedal on the driver's left kick-panel. Ford should move the e-brake to the center console like most modern cars.
Another problem for me is the poor rearward visibility. Between the short rear window and intrusive rear head restraints, the rear view mirror has a poor field of view. Ford should have imitated Volvo and installed pivoting (they don't have to be powered) rear headrests. Normally if you know how to adjust your mirrors, you wouldn't need a blind spot warning system. But on the Taurus, it is helpful because of the poor corner visibility through the rearview mirror.
I was able to find a comfortable driving position, but in my favorite spot, the top buttons of the center console were hard to reach because of the steep rake. As stylish as a swoopy center stack is, I think a steeper angle would have been better for me ergonomically.
SYNC worked well and the navigation system was good looking and easy to use. However, I don't think there is a way to customize the SYNC voice, which my $150 TomTom offers. SYNC also does offer a way to dictate outbound text messages or emails, which would be very useful. The Sony branded sound system sounded good to me.
Overall, I enjoyed driving the Limited. If I bought one, I would buy a cheaper variant (MSRP ~$38,000). If I needed a larger car, or wanted something with some heft, I would definitely consider a 2010 Taurus. Consider the competition: Chevrolet Impala? Ancient platform, mushy, rental-car queen. Toyota Avalon? A big bland mushy couch on wheels. Chrysler 300? Old product, rough interior, though RWD is a plus. Buick LaCrosse? Zzzzzzz.
Stuff I Liked:
- Leather moldings
- Nice fake wood
- Huge trunk
- Steering feel and handling
- Cooled seats
- Seat comfort
- Sony sound system
- Keyless entry and start
- Capless fuel filler
- Park brake pedal
- Rear visibility, headrests
- Steep rake of center console makes reaching top buttons hard
- No speech-to-text messaging on SYNC
- Silly paddle shifters
Friday, September 25, 2009
The UAW/CAW Car List
The UAW and CAW have released a list of vehicles which they endorse, because they are assembled by unionized plants in North America. There are some "Big 3" vehicles which are notably missing because they are assembled in Mexico, such as the Chevrolet HHR. Others have an * because some variants are built in Mexico while others are built in US or Canadian union plants, such as the GM pickups.
There are some "foreign" cars which are UAW kosher:
There are some "foreign" cars which are UAW kosher:
- Mazda6 (Flat Rock, MI, along with Mustang)
- Mazda Tribute (Kansas City, along with Escape)
- Mitsubishi Eclipse (MMNA Normal, IL)
- Mitsubishi Galant (MMNA Normal, IL)
- Mitsubishi Endeavor (MMNA Normal, IL)
- Toyota Corolla/Matrix (NUMMI, but not for long)
- Toyota Tacoma (NUMMI)
- VW Routan (Windsor, with Chrysler vans)
- Chevrolet HHR
- Chevrolet Avalanche
- Chrysler PT Cruiser
- Ford Fusion/Lincoln MKZ
- Saturn Vue
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