OMG I want the 500 Bigbody Hp

[JustinG]

Since everyone is hating on Chrysler, I think they may be on to something with the Hemi Multi Displcement Engine(MDE), where at light cruizing speed 4 of the 8 cylinders are cut off which means "saving up to 20% on fuel consumption"...could be the next step in car engines. I mean honestly its smart, the powers there when you need it but your not guzzling gas in the city cause your only using 4 of the 8 cylinders. Much Chrysler love, hell they built one hell of an engine in my car.

[Jeff]

Multi displacement was pioneered by GM in the early 80s. It was in some Caddys...however it was a mechanical system and failed. This new electronic method seems to be very well thought out.

[CaptainHenreh]

Multi displacement was pioneered by GM in the early 80s. It was in some Caddys...however it was a mechanical system and failed. This new electronic method seems to be very well thought out.

It's certainly working well for...Honda!

[Andy]

Of the bottom 32 cars in CR, 30 of them are American. Hence, American cars are unreliable in general. Pointing out a few exceptions doesn't prove anything, because they're exceptions to the general trend of craptititude, if that's a word.

If we want to use anecdotal evidence, I can cite my friends old neon which on separate occasion, blew the transmission, brake booster, AC, and other random electronic failures as well as shitty plastic interior pieces cracking everywhere.

The Viper is cool but citing a halo vehicle doesn't capture the overall car offerings. All the other cars G cited is poop or concept vehicles. The PT cruiser is a dressed up Neon that shouldn't be given any credit for anything outside of initial novelty.

Jeff's point about Chrysler benefitting from the merger is correct but according to both Business Week and the WashingtonPost, that's because Benz sunk in their 5 year projected profits into Chrysler and ruined their investment plan.

It's sounds like most of G and Jeff's previous posts agree with my overall assertion that Chrysler develops (I used lucky) a few good products which that will water down and destroy the momentum they received from it. (Jeff's comment about the PT Cruiser)

The 300C is popular because of its aesthetic value but it's not going to be a bread/butter car that can provide long term revenue growth e.g. Camry, Accord, 3 series. Something that people come back to time and again. The 300C's styling elements won't stand the test of time. The people's bentley, I completely agree with that statement but I don't think it will continue to sell once everyone else has one. It's design/marketability is based on novelty and "look-at-me" value which will inevitability plummit as the 300c ages. Witness the PT Cruiser. It was very cool its first two years, now look at it.

G, Benz is innovative. Radar/Sonar cruise, ABS, TSC, etc etc, were all developed by Benz. I think the recent offerings from Europe are new/different without being brash or blunt. I know I'm going to get crap for this but I really like Bangle's cars. :oops:
I like the new face of Audi. In regard to reliability, I'm not saying that they're building "unreliabilty" I'm saying for the sake of innovation, they will push newer technology into cars before all the kinks are worked out.
It not just me saying this, Consumer report/Cartalk seems to account German electronic gremlins on their push for the latest gadgets.

Lastly, Jeff I don't necessarily hate Chrysler but I'm of the opinion that companies earn trust, not demand nor expect it from consumers. The "blind domestic hater" comment is unnecessary and not true.

Personally attacking someone for an opinion about a car company is ignorant. I love Corvettes, old and new. The Viper is cool. Mustangs are cool. It's not an issue of being blind but looking at market trends, and company viability. That was what I was addressing initially. If the big 3 were just like every other company with its strengths and weaknesses, why is one owned by a German company and the other 2 slashes it's payroll, production capacity and undertaking massive restructuring? I believe Ford/GM stock currently has a junk bond rating.

[Andy]

Multi displacement was pioneered by GM in the early 80s. It was in some Caddys...however it was a mechanical system and failed. This new electronic method seems to be very well thought out.

It's certainly working well for...Honda!

The thing works seamlessly on the Odyssey. You only get this light that comes on when the 3 cyl are deactivated though sometimes, you can catch yourself "trying" to keep the light on rather than actually driving.

[.RJ]

G, Benz is innovative. Radar/Sonar cruise, ABS, TSC, etc etc, were all developed by Benz.

They were developed, and banned, in Formula 1, except for the radar cruise - which of course, caused much egg on the face for Benz last year in their press conference.

[G.Irish]

Of the bottom 32 cars in CR, 30 of them are American. Hence, American cars are unreliable in general. Pointing out a few exceptions doesn't prove anything, because they're exceptions to the general trend of craptititude, if that's a word.

If we want to use anecdotal evidence, I can cite my friends old neon which on separate occasion, blew the transmission, brake booster, AC, and other random electronic failures as well as shitty plastic interior pieces cracking everywhere.

I agree, anecdotal evidence is not really relevant in this case.

The Viper is cool but citing a halo vehicle doesn't capture the overall car offerings. All the other cars G cited is poop or concept vehicles. The PT cruiser is a dressed up Neon that shouldn't be given any credit for anything outside of initial novelty.

Statements like this are bashing. If people bring up the NSX or S2000 in a conversation about Honda's innovation I doubt you'd say that they don't count the way you're trying to say so with the Viper.

The PT Cruiser was a design hit much the same as the Beetle or the Mini. Technically it wasn't anything special but it didn't have to be, it sold well and was profitable.

The 300C is popular because of its aesthetic value but it's not going to be a bread/butter car that can provide long term revenue growth e.g. Camry, Accord, 3 series.

The 300C is not meant to move 400k units a year like the Camry or Accord or even the 200k of the 3 series so that is a moot point.

Something that people come back to time and again. The 300C's styling elements won't stand the test of time. The people's bentley, I completely agree with that statement but I don't think it will continue to sell once everyone else has one. It's design/marketability is based on novelty and "look-at-me" value which will inevitability plummit as the 300c ages. Witness the PT Cruiser. It was very cool its first two years, now look at it.

One could say the same thing about the Bangle BMW's.

G, Benz is innovative. Radar/Sonar cruise, ABS, TSC, etc etc, were all developed by Benz.

Adaptive cruise control actually works without resulting in a crash in the Lexus LS430, and ABS was not invented by MB, it was invented by Bosch. Traction and Stability Control were not invented by them either, although MB and BMW were among the first to offer it on the road.

I like the new face of Audi. In regard to reliability, I'm not saying that they're building "unreliabilty" I'm saying for the sake of innovation, they will push newer technology into cars before all the kinks are worked out. It not just me saying this, Consumer report/Cartalk seems to account German electronic gremlins on their push for the latest gadgets.

See this is why I don't think MB is better than anyone else on reliability. If your tech innovations are gimpy and unreliable then that means it is not developed enough to offer in a production product. Rushing a feature to market that will only fail and frustrate the consumer is inexcusable, especially when you are paying $50k or more for a car. Then when you consider that Benzs cost more than the equivalent Lexus which happens to be the most reliable marque in the world it is even more unacceptable.

To bash Chrysler and the other domestics while excusing Mercedes Benz is hypocritical. To call American cars crap for not being reliable but then turn right around and excuse some of the German makes because they offer a lot of gadgetry for inflated prices is unfair.

Lastly, Jeff I don't necessarily hate Chrysler but I'm of the opinion that companies earn trust, not demand nor expect it from consumers. The "blind domestic hater" comment is unnecessary and not true.

Maybe you are not a blind domestic hater but the arguments have put forth sound a lot like what one would say.

Personally attacking someone for an opinion about a car company is ignorant.

Nobody is personally attacking you, but for no reason you came out and called a whole country's cars crap. That was flamebait. You could have made your point in a much less inflammatory manner.

If the big 3 were just like every other company with its strengths and weaknesses, why is one owned by a German company and the other 2 slashes it's payroll, production capacity and undertaking massive restructuring? I believe Ford/GM stock currently has a junk bond rating.

Nobody will deny the big three are in trouble financially but again, no need to commence with the domestic bashing.

[HAULN-SS]

blah blah blah..all these long posts. I just would like to point out that nearly all print media that claims to be unbiased (thus excluding Hemi Power, Chevy HP..blah blah blah) are always pro-import. I think it's so that people cant say "Well of course the american cars are best, that's a magazine published in america"

[G.Irish]

blah blah blah..all these long posts. I just would like to point out that nearly all print media that claims to be unbiased (thus excluding Hemi Power, Chevy HP..blah blah blah) are always pro-import. I think it's so that people cant say "Well of course the american cars are best, that's a magazine published in america"

There is no media that is totally unbiased because there are no people that are totally unbiased. However to say there is a conspiracy against American cars is a stretch.

[ScottyB]

blah blah blah..all these long posts. I just would like to point out that nearly all print media that claims to be unbiased (thus excluding Hemi Power, Chevy HP..blah blah blah) are always pro-import. I think it's so that people cant say "Well of course the american cars are best, that's a magazine published in america"

what type of print media are you talking about though. a "consumer report" type of magazine, a magazine based on modification, or a road test type of magazine? and do you mean only American magazines (i find EVO magazine to be fairly unbiased)?

[HAULN-SS]

consumer report types - Motor Trend et al.

[Andy]

"Talk of the Nation" was talking about Ford/GM's failures. A financial analyst attributed F/GM troubles to their focus on the bottom line where as Japanese automakers are more product oriented. Not my words.

[.RJ]

There was a really good book on the Jap automakers and how they do things in comparison to the US automakers - I'll have to dig it up. The US automatkers are too wrapped up with the bottom line and they squeeze the profits out of their suppliers with cutthroat competition, where as the Jap automakers are more willing to develop the product and foster relationships with their suppliers and work with them to become more efficient and will usually have multiple suppliers for the same part. Honda's philosophy on this is "BP" (best product, best productivity, best something else).

[REED]

best process?

[Evan]

Of the bottom 32 cars in CR, 30 of them are American. Hence, American cars are unreliable in general. Pointing out a few exceptions doesn't prove anything, because they're exceptions to the general trend of craptititude, if that's a word.

It has been proven in several studies, that people complain more about vehicle failures on american cars than japanese cars, due to the (now incorrect) stigma of american cars being unreliable.
When the exact same failure happens in an american car and a japanese car, owners who fill out reliability reports (in these studies) have complained more about the failure on the american car, and rated the overall reliability of the american vehicle to be much lower than the japanese vehicle, even thought he actual failures were identical.

What are consumer reports reliability ratings based on? Owner surveys.

[CaptainHenreh]

There was a really good book on the Jap automakers and how they do things in comparison to the US automakers - I'll have to dig it up. The US automatkers are too wrapped up with the bottom line and they squeeze the profits out of their suppliers with cutthroat competition, where as the Jap automakers are more willing to develop the product and foster relationships with their suppliers and work with them to become more efficient and will usually have multiple suppliers for the same part. Honda's philosophy on this is "BP" (best product, best productivity, best something else).

This is a HUGE quality control difference between US manufacturers and Japanese ones. It is solely responsible for putting toyota and honda as best-sellers in the US. Six sigma and all that shit. US manufacturers have been playing catch-up for the past 10 years.

[.RJ]

This is a HUGE quality control difference between US manufacturers and Japanese ones. It is solely responsible for putting toyota and honda as best-sellers in the US. Six sigma and all that shit. US manufacturers have been playing catch-up for the past 10 years.

Lean manufacturing as well. Some manufacturers have implemented it here (Saturn) but others still have their head in the sand.

[REED]

I believe Toyota was the first to start using Just-In-Time (JIT) inventory as well, I don't think any American companies have adopted this practice, they still keep large warehouses or parts. IMO american companies in general try to fit to many niche markets and are offering far to many cars - in comparison to similar japanese competitors. They are trying to spread the success (and profits) of some cars or brands over 6 of their other brands. I know japanese manufactures do this to an extent (acura and honda) but at least there seems to be an actual difference between the cars and the markets they are competing in, can anyone actually tell the difference between an explorer and a mountaineer.

[HAULN-SS]

How many25+ year old hondas and toyotas do you see on the road in this country and others?

[REED]

have honda and toyota even been here for 25+ years