Comments from westfieldind

westfieldind commented on 2008 Toyota Tundra: First Drive

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 20:15:05 EDT

Have they fixed the Tundras bed bounce yet?

How about the frame flexure issue?
Durability might be a leeeeetle issue for the Tundra.

westfieldind commented on NYT: Chrysler In Merger Talks With GM

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 02:29:01 EDT

The only people that would profit from such an illogical move would be the takeover brokers in NY. Is anyone surprised that the NY papers closest to the people who would profit most are the ones suggesting this move. Auto analysts in the know say there is NO truth to this rumor. Wall Street types are known for throwing chum in the water when they want to stir up a deal.

westfieldind commented on Ten New Cars For People Who Hate Cars

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:05:23 EDT

The Milan gets a bad rap only because of guilt by Mercury...er ...association. I've driven one; it corners great, is comfortable without being numb (Camry) or harsh; and zips up to speed without faux muscle car muffler rumble. When my father gets behind the wheel on I-69, I have to keep reminding him not to drive his age (86). The Milan has most of the driving personality that was wrung out of the Accord and Camry and not used by Toyota and Honda for landfill.

westfieldind commented on Honda Insight Vs. Toyota Prius: Separated At Birth?

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 22:06:06 EDT

Is anyone really surprised that Honda ripped off a competitor's successful design elements? I especially like the Jetta-ish dark bumper, the Prius lines, and the euro-Ford headlights. People buy Hondas for the powertrains and the upgraded interior plastics; not because they offer anything new in design elements. The only surprise is that the chief rip-off was mainly from a Japanese competitor, not from BMW as usual.

westfieldind commented on The Ten Worst Non-Automotive Product Tie-Ins With Automotive Brands

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:42:51 EDT

Mercifully, no Hummer lipstick.

westfieldind commented on GM Presents Its Top Ten Production Cars and Top Ten Concept Cars

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 19:03:42 EDT

The Corvette you show brings up a story about my father. Back in the early 1950's, my father, a '49 GMI graduate and a vendor for a plastics company returned to GM. He was asked to work as a body engineer on a project to build a fiberglass body car (the original Corvette) on a team led by Ed Cole. He shortly thereafter decided to move to a better paying position with Ford; my sister had a lot of medical expenses. He's told me that he had a little regret about leaving that project behind.

In 1963-4 he was one of the carline engineers on the pre-production Mustang. He still talks about almost losing control in a test vehicle because of some faulty work on the steering system of a prototype. Two weeks ago, he and I pulled up next to a 1st gen Mustang convertible north of 11 Mile on the Woodward Dream Cruise. I caught him looking out that car up and down for things they worked on to get right back in the day. He said he's still pleased by that car every time he sees one.

westfieldind commented on GM Presents Its Top Ten Production Cars and Top Ten Concept Cars

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:47:13 EDT

Let's see....1990 GM Impact concept + Honda CRX becomes Honda Insight. Ford Synus concept morphs into 05 Scion XB and 09 Honda Pilot.

westfieldind commented on 2009 Honda Fit, First Drive, Part Two

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 09:23:48 EDT

Saw an 08 Fit on the road yesterday and like it's design angles better than the 09. On the other hand, look at the swoopy folds on the 09; rearward off the front fender, forward off the back fender and along the door sill. These make the Fit look more refined than the Aveo all the while having similar dimensions. Same reasons why the euro Fords look better.

The 09 Fit has some of the old cheepnis features of older Honda's (styled steel wheels under plastic covers; no arm rest) but hey, so did a lot of cars. If I bought a Honda; it would be because of engine durability. As a reinvented, pre-1980 Civic, it is a big styling improvement.

One more thing; ACE structure or no, the Fit will fold up all over and into it's occupants if it's hit by a big enough object, say a PT Cruiser.

westfieldind commented on 2009 Honda Fit, First Drive

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:55:35 EDT

Why is it that the Fit and Civic (08) seem to emit more tailpipe pollutants than comparable American iron (read Focus)? This is from the comparison on fueleconomy.gov.

westfieldind commented on Kia VG Sedan Goes Sightseeing In Death Valley

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:03:10 EDT

Perhaps it is a successor to the Hyundai XG350. VG (Very Good) seems an apt successor to XG (Xtra Good).

westfieldind commented on Should Ford And GM Just Merge?

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 18:40:12 EDT

....and yet, there is considerable money to be made by investment bankers in just such a merger. That fact and that alone would be the motivating factor that would push the two together. Think of the large piles of money to be made in the fees! Mmmmmm...lots of Donuts.

westfieldind commented on Ford Sales Drop 14.9% In July

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 19:30:30 EDT

After test driving, the new Focus still out-corners said Corolla, Civic, Sentra, and the Hyunkianauts. With a 5 speed it is a rather fun little car to slalom around the traffic circles of Carmel, Indiana (also fun to watch body lean on said Corollas, Civics (not Si), Sentras, and the Hyunkianauts on same roads. Mileage and room are still comparable to the others.

On another subject; anyone noticed a larger than normal population of Escort ZX's on the streets after gas prices went above $3.00/gal? Never seemed to notice them before.

westfieldind commented on Commenter Of The Day: Alley-Oop Edition

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 22:12:50 EDT

SeanKHotay: A co-worker of mine was a secretary for R.C. "Alley-Oop" Owens at a San Francisco 49ers training camp in the mid-1980's. He would catch what we would call today "jump-balls" from Y.A. Tittle for TD's back in the 1950's ([en.wikipedia.org])
He is a class act in real life and sent my co-worker a note on her retirement, almost 20 years later!

westfieldind commented on Honda's New Hybrid Prius-Fighter Caught Desert Testing, Listening To "Eye Of The Tiger"

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:52:06 EDT

Sorry but Honda has never been particularly original about its design cues. The fact they are now copying Toyota is either a sign of end times or of an impending matter-antimatter collision.

westfieldind commented on Farewell, Jalopnik Faithful

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 18:07:53 EDT

...I just noticed your byline on the digital gages story; very cool collection of videos. Dallas Morning News is very cool...you'll like Big D and lots of car culture in Texas. Best wishes.

westfieldind commented on Barack Obama To Sponsor NASCAR Sprint Cup Car In Florida, Other Cars To Turn Right In Protest

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:59:17 EDT

Memo to Barack: I like your campaign but a Toyota? You couldn't get a patch on a Ford or Chevy. Are you backed by the Toyota keiretsu also ([en.wikipedia.org]). Way to support the world's number one super best car builders and engineers! This guy has campaign managers that are tone deaf. Or at least that think that cars should have the souls of toasters.

westfieldind commented on What Should The National Speed Limit Be?

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 19:04:58 EDT

@GatoRat: True, except for I-80 across (your western state here), substitute the highway between Baghdad and Mosul. And instead of the vehicle of your choice, how about some poorly armored fuel tanker? Seems like we talk about all sorts of technofixes when we could slow down, burn fewer petro dollars, and send fewer countrymen to (your favorite middle eastern country here) to defend the oily parts. But I digress from the topic of freedom of speed....

westfieldind commented on GM To Get More Layoffs, Lose A Brand

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:53:10 EDT

Forgive my skepticism about all this. The same Wall Street types that have nothing to do with product planning and that make money from creating and mediating corporate transfers and sales of assets now predict a sale of a corporate asset (read GM vehicle brand). Is business a bit slow guys, what with the collapse of your last big financial vehicles (mortgage backed securities, energy trading (read: Enron), mindless mergers (read Chrysler, then Daimler Chrysler, then Cerebus Chrysler, or how about RJ-Reynolds, then RJR Nabisco, then whatever) that always make them fees whether it is a merger or a leveraged buyout? This all ends up a big NADA.

Want a rumor? Toyota's selling Lexus. The two are worth more as separate brands. The dealer networks are separate anyway and the Toyota keiritsu members say that Lexus is worth more without the money hemorrhaging truck and SUV lines of Toyota. Who cares if they share virtually every part; Mahindra & Mahindra and Chery are aching for a luxury brand. Some guy from Goldman Sachs told me this so I know its true. Why would they lie, even if they stood to make a buck.

Or did I just have a bad day at work......

westfieldind commented on Top Ten American Automotive Pilgrimages

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:23:24 EDT

What about the Dream Cruise along Woodward Ave, N of Detroit each year in August? www.woodwarddreamcruise.com

westfieldind commented on Which Automaker Would You Vote Off The Island?

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 03:34:26 EDT

Tesla. Every Tesla I've ever owned has been unreliable. In fact, I just looked outside and the car's disappeared again into thin vaporware.

westfieldind commented on Car Industry Carnage: US Auto Sales Down 18.8% For June

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 07:13:56 EDT

@AlfaCharger: The percent changes copied from Autoblog are wrong, based on the sales numbers you copied. Try these:

Brand Sold 6/08 Sold 6/07 Percent change
Acura "12,456" "16,766" -25.71%
Audi "8,203" "7,789" 5.32%
BMW "20,944" "25,220" -16.95%
Buick "9,631" "16,519" -41.70%
Cadillac "14,337" "16,647" -13.88%
Chevrolet "159,998" "186,474" -14.20%
Chrysler "27,128" "47,658" -43.08%
Dodge "63,687" "91,089" -30.08%
Ford "145,715" "204,303" -28.68%
GMC "30,713" "40,457" -24.08%
Honda "130,083" "130,083" 0.00%
HUMMER "2,072" "5,093" -59.32%
Hyundai "50,033" "49,368" 1.35%
Infiniti "9,304" "10,558" -11.88%
Jeep "26,642" "44,600" -40.26%
Kia "28,292" "26,288" 7.62%
Lexus "20,253" "28,869" -29.85%
Lincoln "9,718" "12,494" -22.22%
Mazda "23,771" "25,761" -7.72%
Mercedes-Benz "19,576" "19,589" -0.07%
Mercury "11,657" "15,660" -25.56%
MINI "5,211" "4,174" 24.84%
Mitsubishi "7,494" "13,014" -42.42%
Nissan "66,543" "81,655" -18.51%
Pontiac "28,402" "33,683" -15.68%
Porsche "2,650" "3,267" -18.89%
Saab "1,872" "4,361" -57.07%
Saturn "18,912" "21,686" -12.79%
Subaru "18,007" "17,108" 5.25%
Suzuki "9,785" "10,325" -5.23%
Toyota "172,981" "216,870" -20.24%
Volkswagen "23,208" "23,137" 0.31%
Volvo "7,001" "9,572" -26.86%

These don't agree with the figures in the Detroit News but they're at least closer.

westfieldind commented on Kia To Get First-Ever Coupe In 2009, May Replace "Spectra" Name

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:03:46 EDT

Yeah, an Aussie FORD designer. A good replication and a long enough warranty may make you forget it's the Lada for this generation.

westfieldind commented on Why Aren't All Small Cars Selling?

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 03:11:59 EDT

I test drove a 5-spd 08 Focus with my son. We have a 2003 Focus SVT with 50K mi, an absolutely wonderful drivers car! The 08 Focus still has better driving dynamics than the Civic when thrashed around the traffic circles of Carmel, Indiana. Only gripe, no rear headrests in the 08 Focus. I'm sorry but if the long-term quality is like the other Fords lately, this will turn out to be a comparable deal to the Civic.

Last thing--if ever given a chance, check out the beefier door intrusion beam on the Focus vs. the light tubular steel on the Civic. Nothing you'll ever see until after you need it.

westfieldind commented on Why Aren't All Small Cars Selling?

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 02:33:13 EDT

@maxforrest32: Yes, Craptastic enough to be adding a third shift at it's Wayne Michigan production plant.

westfieldind commented on Honda Looks To Follow GM By Fueling Hydrogen Hopes With Hollywood Hype

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 23:07:37 EDT

The FCX Clarity is a wonderful case of greenwashing by Honda. It distracts from the 17 MPG city that their new Pilot gets.
Honda makes wonderful engines and its engineers are top notch but they don't walk on water.

westfieldind commented on American Automakers To Continue Limiting Fleet Sales, Koreans To Take Over?

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:01:11 EDT

Considering the inability of American executives of Hyundai/Kia to increase sales except by selling to rental fleets, it won't be long until the resale value of H-K products go to pot as well. Considering the firings of prior H-K executives that failed to meet their chairman's ambitious sales goals, now may not be the time to lead or buy the products of the most glorious Korean auto company ever.

westfieldind commented on Is Mercury Worth Saving?

Tue, 27 May 2008 18:18:10 EDT

@Mad_Science: Yeah, sort of like Toyota had to invent a third, "youth" brand. Those wily Toyotanauts! Picking just this moment to introduce a third division (Scion) to trick the Detroit 3 into keeping their lame, poorly conceived brands.

westfieldind commented on 2009 Lincoln MKS AWD, Lounging In Suburbia

Fri, 23 May 2008 22:28:16 EDT

@pl8ster: Saw a nice looking one with Illinois dealer plates driving on US-31 in Westfield, Indiana last Saturday. It seemed to have good pickup away from the light and looked stylish in a retro 30's sort of way.

The MKS definitely did NOT remind me in any way of the knockoff Kia XtraGood350. Ugh. I'd worked really hard to forget the design mishmash that was XG350.

westfieldind commented on Ford Summons Black Magic for Focus CC, Gains +6 XP

Fri, 16 May 2008 22:59:08 EDT

@Ash78: My 03 SVT Focus manages 170 hp from a 2.0L Zetec, albeit beefed up a bit but still naturally aspirated.

westfieldind commented on 2009 Ford Escape: First Drive

Thu, 15 May 2008 21:41:02 EDT

@tanooki2003: Actually, the Ford seems to have a higher level of sportage than the comparable Kia. Kia does however seem to beat its competition in its utter disposability after 5 years--it's the Lada for the next millenia!

westfieldind commented on 2009 Honda Pilot, Part Three

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 01:45:01 EDT

Must repeat....Honda good for USA, Ford bad; Honda good for USA, Ford bad; Honda good for USA, Ford bad...must stop...brain hurting

westfieldind commented on Tony Stewart Edition Toyota Camry? Sort of.

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:29:56 EDT

Victory field, Indianapolis?

westfieldind commented on 2009 Honda Pilot, Part Two

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:34:00 EDT

I suggest you compare this with the Taurus X; a real attempt to create a third row seat that will accommodate adults without "pulling the middle seat all the way forward". The 2008 Taurus X gets better mileage in every configuration (FWD AWD) than the Pilot, even with the Pilot resorting to cylinder deactivation.

westfieldind commented on 2009 Honda Pilot, Part Two

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:22:49 EDT

@*Ashsterisk*78: Perhaps they identify with the legions of North American engineers employed by Honda in engine design. Unfortunately, to Honda, we're just the guys that bolt it together.

westfieldind commented on Top Seven Best Cars To Die In

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 21:49:50 EDT

While driving my 5-star safety rated Prius/Civic/Corolla, in a head-on collision with a Hummer H1 that crossed the median of I-95, southbound, near Chester, PA.

westfieldind commented on Chrysler's Press Claims Japan Paid 100% Of Toyota Prius Hybrid, Battery Development; Lutz Says Volt Could Cost $48,000

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 23:53:23 EDT

@petersterncan: At fueleconomy.gov, the 2008 Ford Focus and the 2008 Toyota Prius get the SAME scores for smog emitting chemicals. In general, Toyotas and Hondas of the same size emit more smog chemicals than do Fords. I understand that the Focus emits more CO2 but there seems to be a tradeoff going on here between one type of emission reduction and another.

westfieldind commented on IRS Gives Biggest Tax Credit To New Ford Hybrids

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 22:42:03 EDT

@stuntpuppy: Me look at fueleconomy.gov. No car that seat 5 except hybrid Prius, hybrid Civic, and hybrid Altima get 34 mpg city. Drive Hybrid Ford Escape and maybe see you in HOV lane with dino power Yaris or Fit. Yaris or Fit give off twice more smog than Escape. Must remember to repeat.... Toyota good. Honda good. Ford bad. Sorry. Brain hurt more from facts.

westfieldind commented on IRS Gives Biggest Tax Credit To New Ford Hybrids

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 22:27:55 EDT

@eltonito: Oh sorry, I forgot, Ford Escape hybrid bad, Toyota Highlander hybrid good. Must remember to repeat.... Toyota good. Ford bad.
Sorry. Brain hurt.

westfieldind commented on Cincinnati Reds Toyota Truck Giveaway Is A Bit Of A Sham

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 22:24:11 EDT

@pjsammy: Maybe the Progressive folks could give away one of the hail damaged ones and skip the middle man. Or they could give away the one in this You Tube video: