It was deja vu all over again. I was driving in a car with a locked up computer, which meant I'd lost pretty much all control over the media and navigation systems.
The first time it happened was back in 2002. I was driving the then all-new 2002 BMW 7 Series. Most people remember that car as the first year for the "Bangle butt" and forget it was also the first year for BMW's new i-Drive system. Neither item (Bangle butt nor i-Drive) was particularly well received, and I agreed that the execution of both left something to be desired.
And that was before the i-Drive system locked up on me as I was leaving the Long Beach Grand Prix in the 7 Series for my 70-mile drive home.
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Categories: BMW, Car Audio and Technology, Ford, Talk Back Tuesday
I find myself in a conundrum. I'm a certified techno-geek, and I'm also a huge proponent of personal responsibility/accountability (versus expecting Mother Government to protect us from ourselves).
However, the latest announcements from CES and the Detroit Auto Show suggest a level of in-car information, and potential distraction, even I'm starting to question.
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Categories: Car Audio and Technology, Driving, Talk Back Tuesday
I had an interesting conversation last week while at the Detroit Auto Show. I was talking to a collegue about the role of brand equity and how difficult it can be to even establish it, let alone maintain it for an extended period of time (look no further than formerly-squeaky-clean Toyota).
We discussed the success and failure rate of various automotive manufacturers in establishing and maintaining brand equity, and I suggested two automakers I felt represented tremendous success in this area.
Not surprisingly, these were the same two car makers I wrote about one year ago, when I asserted these companies could essentially serve all personal consumer transportation needs if every other manufacturer disappeared. Does anyone remember my choices?
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Categories: Talk Back Tuesday
I'm in Detroit right now, surrounded by show cars promising everything from 18 mpg to 230 mpg to infinite MPG, though the latter numbers require one to believe batteries and pure electric cars require ZERO energy. If you believe the hype you might think the electric car is just around the "Electric Avenue" corner, waiting to save us from all those nasty gasoline fumes and all that evil foreign oil.
Of course we all know electric cars still need energy from somewhere, but we've told ourselves electric power is far cheaper and cleaner than refined oil because electric cars don't have exhaust pipes. I think if one were to closely research the assembly and "motor-vation" of electric cars one might be a tad disappointed at their supposed cleanliness, but that's a topic for another column. Instead I'm going to temporarily give the electric car brigade their way and blithely agree that cars powered by motors are somehow "better" for the planet than cars powered by engines.
That said, what will it take to get a meaninful number of U.S. drivers into these electric cars? I think we'd all agree electric cars represent nothing more than headline-grabbing novelties until people start opting for them in lieu of gasoline power.
Not that manufacturers would ever stoop to meaningless technology exercises just to garner a positive headline or three...
For clarity I'm going to define "meaningful number of U.S. drivers" as the same number of people already buying diesel or hybrid vehicles -- that's less than 3 percent of the new car market for either. If 3 percent doesn't sound particularly meaningful to you, well, I agree. However, if electric cars could ever match even that low bar I'd still be impressed.
So, what's killing the electric car?
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Categories: Fuel Efficiency, Future Vehicles, Talk Back Tuesday
Last week I happily kicked 2009 to the curb, along with the many automotive divisions and models that won't be around for 2010. But with the New Year comes new hope for a future awash in worthy and exciting cars (also political intelligence and personal responsibility/accountability...but I'm not holding my breathe on those).
In the spirit of looking forward let's examinie the North American Car and Truck of the Year (NACTOY) finalists, cars I'll be voting on today before the winner is announced next Monday. On the car side we have the Buick LaCrosse, Ford Fusion Hybrid and Volkswagen Golf. On the truck side we're talking about the Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Transit Connect and Subaru Outback.
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Categories: Buick, Chevrolet, Ford, Subaru, Talk Back Tuesday, Vehicle Awards, Volkswagen
Fire is an interesting phenomenon. It is the basis for all of man's technology and it's been keeping us warm for several thousand years. Yet an undeniably negative connotation surrounds the word because it is often associated with death and destruction. In truth, fire serves an important purpose, even in it's most destructive form. In nature a fire often clears an area of crowded, older trees to make room for younger, healthier saplings. There are even plants that thrive on fire, using the heat to release seeds for a burst of new growth.
As firestorms go, 2009 saw one of the most destructive infernos engulf the automotive industry since Karl Benz patented his first car in 1886. And we still don't know the full extent of this latest firestorm. Even as I write my blog entry the future of multiple manufacturers remains uncertain.
However, I would argue that much like the cyclical fires consuming old growth forests, the automotive carnage of 2009 isn't something to fear or lament but rather a natural and necessary component of industrial evolution.
Seriously, let's take a look at what we "lost" in 2009 and ask ourselves if the industry is really worse off than it was a year ago.
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Categories: Automotive News, Hummer, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Talk Back Tuesday
Last week I talked about 10 automotive technologies that fulfill their duty of making a driver's life better in one or more ways. Most of them were not particularly cutting edge, because "cutting edge" and "making life better" rarely go together when discussing technology.
So for the final week of 2009 I'm going to list the automotive technologies I'd like to see transition from theoretical to actual in their mission of making our lives better. Herewith are the 10 Automotive Technologies to (hopefully) Emerge in 2010:
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Categories: Car Audio and Technology, Talk Back Tuesday
After last week's rant against keyless go technology I almost (almost) felt bad. But then I remembered how annoying that technology can be and decided instead of feeling guilty maybe I should just focus on automotive technologies that do work.
So today I'm writing about current high-tech vehicle features that, rather than annoy me, actually serve me well. Because -- at the end of the day -- that's what technology is supposed to do: make our lives better.
What follows, in no particular order, are 10 life-improving automotive technologies:
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Categories: Car Audio and Technology, Talk Back Tuesday
I don't like to use the word "hate" too often because it dilutes the power of the word, and I want it to have full force when I've grown to truly loathe something. But as the title suggests, I've found somewhere to direct both the word and the emotion: Keyless Start.
Let me first say that I "get" the idea behind keyless start. I know it's supposed to allow for hands-free operation of a vehicle, meaning no fumbling for a key everytime you want to get in a vehicle and drive. Also, when combined with keyless entry it allows for a completely fumble-free motoring experience, and who could be against that?
I could, and I am.
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Categories: BMW, Talk Back Tuesday
I've been fortunate enough to drive both the Porsche Panamera S and the Panamera Turbo over the past four weeks (the Turbo over this past Thanksgiving weekend). This is a car that elevates the word "sedan" to a new dimension. In fact, while technically correct, the word "sedan" sounds too mundane to serve as the Panamera's descriptor. Like calling the Grand Canyon a "natural formation."
If you think this Porsche's specs are the sole reason it's more than just a sedan, well, you'd be partially right. With 500 horsepower, 567 pound-feet of torque, a zero-to-60 time in the mid 3s and a top speed over 175 mph there's no ignoring the Panamera's performance. But when you're spending $150,000-plus on a sedan you can find similar numbers in more than a few high-end four-doors.
No, what makes the Panamera unique is how that performance is melded with a highly functional and supremely effective luxury sedan. I've always been most impressed with vehicles than can do more than one thing really well. For instance, a great luxury SUV capable of daily commutiing in the city is nice, as is a billy-goat-capable off-roading machine. And when you get all of those attributes in a single vehicle (i.e. Toyota Land Cruiser) you have a vehicle that defines engineering excellence.
And that's where the Porsche Panamera scores. It's nearly peerless as a racetrack weapon AND it's almost unequaled as a fully-functional luxury sedan. It defines engineering excellence.
But despite it's capabilities an important question remains: Should Porsche really be making a sedan?
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Categories: Porsche, Talk Back Tuesday
With Turkey Day fast approaching and year-end celebrations following close behind you probably think it's "holiday season." But for automotive industry folks Thanksgiving marks a much more imposing time period: Auto Show Season.
Yeah, Frankfurt (or Paris) and Tokyo fall outside the traditional holiday season, but the really important auto shows for the U.S. car market land conveniently (actually, inconveniently) between Thanksgiving and Easter.
And because the last thing the world needs is another "Top 10" list herewith are the "Bottom 10" things about Auto Show Season:
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Categories: Auto Shows, Future Vehicles, Talk Back Tuesday
The buzz around electric cars reached a Norelco pitch last week after Nissan started showing off its new Leaf and Carlos Ghosn claimed 10 percent of global automotive sales will be electric by 2020.
That's 10 years from now, and when one considers the technological potential of the next decade it doesn't sound so far fetched, right?
Wrong! I think this prediction (like most automotive predictions involving more than 5 years) is more sound-bite than sound reasoning. And if you don't believe me, ask Bob Lutz. I did last week on the same day the Leaf made it's splash-down in Los Angeles.
Lutz was in Los Angeles as part of the 2011 Buick Regal reveal at the Hollywood Palladium, but several senior Edmunds.com folks spent some quality time with him at the Roosevelt Hotel. We discussed multiple topics, including the future of the electric car.
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Categories: Future Vehicles, Hybrid Vehicles, MINI, Nissan, Talk Back Tuesday
Let me make one thing clear in the second sentence of this column. I am not saying GM has already pulled off a successful turnaround.
But events of the last few weeks have established a momumental realization (at least for me): I think it's possible GM might actually pull off a successful turnaround. You know what they say, 12th time's the charm.
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Categories: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Domestic Manufacturers Problems/Challenges, GMC, Talk Back Tuesday
This list isn't very long, but it's getting longer every year.
The first vehicle to earn the distinction of "Cars I Want to Hate...But Can't" was the BMW X5, and I still consider it the poster child for this category.
Why would I want to hate the BMW X5? Because it was slower, heavier, bulkier, thirstier, costlier and less space efficient than a BMW 5 Series wagon when it debuted in the late 1990s. The car made no logical sense on any rational level.
Then I drove one and quickly realized that, as slower, heavier, bulkier, thirstier, costlier and less space efficient 5 Series wagons go, the X5 was an awfully nice vehicle.
Since then I've experienced a similar love-hate relationship with several models, including the (new) Dodge Challenger, the Porsche Panamera and -- as of last Thursday -- the Honda Crosstour.
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Categories: BMW, Dodge, Honda, Porsche, Talk Back Tuesday
I feel bad for Lexus. And it's not often I feel bad for a vehicle manufacturer, especially one swimming in cash (and trust me, even with its recent financial woes Toyota is still swimming in billions of dollars).
But the introduction of the Lexus LFA has me seriously concerned. Not about the company's long-term outlook -- Toyota has too much money and too many strong products to be in any serious trouble. But I fear the next couple years could be very painful for Toyota's top-line dealers, and I don't see the LFA helping their cause.
First, every premium brand is facing an uphill battle to maintain sales in this emerging "rather-save-my-money-than-impress-the-neighbors" era. It's called value, and people are (thankfully, IMHO) finally considering it when making a vehicle purchase. Don't believe me? Check out our data showing how premium SUV sales have TANKED in the last couple years.
Second, while the Lexus LFA offers impressive technical and performance specs these can't overcome the inherent weaknesses in its supercar pedigree. A single-clutch automated transmission in a 2011 model that costs $400,000? That questionable technology is already a decade old. And even a 3.7-second 0-60 time and a top speed of 202 mph, as amazing as those numbers sound, really aren't class leading in today's supercar field.
Which begs the question: What makes a supercar truly super?
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Categories: Ford GT, Lexus, Talk Back Tuesday
