Posts

@Flying Pancake  
There was one episode of Top Gear where Richard Hammond couldn’t get a Pagani Zonda out of a parking garage without scraping the front bumper, which was naturally carbon fiber and impossible to repair. I can and have driven my old car over a curb with minimal hassle. I couldn’t do that with any current sporty car. If only cars had adjustable height suspensions that raised automatically at low speeds.

@SeraphimDawn  
lol we already talked about the Buick Reatta that had a touchscreen. I’d love to have a piece of classic car like that :)
 
 
@Flying Pancake  
lol have you seen Regular Car reviews of that Charger? it isn’t good at off-road because the tires are so tight up against the body :D
 
 
@SeraphimDawn  
I’m a big fan of practical crossovers, I mostly like minivans though. I know minivans are not very popular, but they do everything a crossover can’t do!
 
btw,  
Fullsize sedans are the best cars, they’re a huge part of American car history, literally!

@SeraphimDawn  
I’m not sure it’s the cargo space that draws people to crossovers; like you said, they really aren’t bigger than comparable wheelbase hatchbacks. I always see it mentioned that their higher seating position makes people feel safer than they do in cars, for whatever reason. The other thing that I suspect is a factor is their ground clearance, or rather, modern cars’ lack thereof.
 
To illustrate:  

 
The modern Challenger won’t be able to put its nose over a curb, might high center on speed bumps, could take body damage from a pothole, and is going have serious trouble getting into a lot of parking lots and driveways without dragging its chin across the ground. The classic Challenger won’t have a problem with any of that, and it’s about as far off the ground as a modern crossover. Start designing cars for those sorts of concerns, and I bet they’d be better able to compete with crossovers.
 
And I really have no idea what X6 shaped vehicles are. I’ve been calling them “Eagles,” after these:  

@Flying Pancake  
I won’t doubt crossovers’ practicality and I understand why they are the preferred vehicle segment in today’s mobile world, especially in places like Canada with their AWD capabilities.
 
But do they really have that much more cargo space over hatchbacks and sedans? Most compact SUVs, which are the most popular segment right now, only carry up to five passengers, as much as sedans. In an urban and suburban setting.
 
Also. What exactly is a BMW X6?  
 
Are these types of cars really necessary? They’re basically SUVs that look very much like bulky sedans.
 
If I recall, Acura also had something similar few years back.  
The ZDX  
 
Which didn’t sell well of course.  
Looks like an oversized coupe that doesn’t have anymore interior space than a real coupe.
 
On the Dodge Charger.  
I see a lot of them in police fleets.  
Police departments are still one of the major markets for fullsize sedans. As those old Crown Victoria cars age, they’re starting to replace them with Ford Tauruses.

@SeraphimDawn  
I wouldn’t say crossovers themselves are bad, just low effort ones. (Even if I would prefer to see more wagons.) Try to make it interesting and you can come up with something cool like the Stelvio or the Cherokee, phone it in and you wind up with an unmemorable blob like the Captiva or the Trax.
 
 
@SeraphimDawn  

 
In general, yes, but for that picture, in order: yes, because RWD V-8, no because CVT, and maybe?
 
And as much as I like them, I’m not sure I’d say a Charger really has off-road abilities, unless we’re talking about this one:  
 
Then maybe.

@kleptomage  
Sorry, just a nasty habit of mine I got from PM speaking.
 
Anyways.
 
GM should really try to bring back Pontiac to compete with FCA’s Dodge brand for the youth market.
 
Anyone here into full-size 4 door cars?  
 
 

 
There aren’t a lot of them on the market except in the luxury department anymore.  
They used to be the backbone of North American auto world. Often referred to as “land yachts”.

Can you not post three times in a row? It’s basic etiquette.

Touchscreens in cars are not a new concept.
 
Check out this 1987 Buick Riviera
 
Also, I’m into sport sedans and midsize.  
When it comes to midsize. Nothing looks better than the current generation Mazda 6 IMO.  

 
FCA seems to have gotten ride of their FWD sedans in favour of crossovers. The only sedans they make now are the Dodge Charger and the Chrysler 300, all of them have AWD options and offroad capabilities.  
I’m guessing they’re cutting close into a territory Subaru specializes on.

UGH!  
Crossovers have become cancer to the automotive industry.
 
Remember when coupes, sedans, and station wagons ruled the roads?

I would like to have this.
 
Infiniti Q60  

@kleptomage  
I was thinking the same thing, but the Jeep Grand Cherokee is the same size as the Cayenne and Bentayga, isn’t it?
 
also, the Bentley is so amazing and luxurious, I’d still rather the Tesla for the doors!

@Flying Pancake  
@RainbowDash69  
I consider the Tesla Model X more of a crossover than a real SUV though I know the lines are blurred in these times. If we’re counting crossovers, we have to include the Bentley Bentayga with its 3.5 second time.

@Flying Pancake  
I doubt it, they probably will put an electronic limiter on it!
 
@kleptomage  
it is hard to beat the Tesla with that title, though electric motors are kinda cheating! I think the Porsche Cayenne might be hard to beat as well. perhaps if Jeep drops all the luxury features, they’d be faster

@kleptomage  
Well, it’ll be probably be the second fastest SUV; the Tesla Model X will do 0-60 in 2.8 seconds. But I’d take the Jeep over that thing any day.
 
I wonder if the Trackhawk’s top speed will be over 200?

@Flying Pancake  
The Charger looks the most aerodynamic of the three . I would predict that the Grand Cherokee launches easier but is overtaken by the Charger Hellcat. In any case, The Trailhawk should be the fastest SUV on earth and man that is a weird sentence to type.

@kleptomage  
Looking at the 392 powered cars:
 
Charger: 4.1-4.2 seconds  
Challenger: 4.3 seconds  
Grand Cherokee: 4.5 seconds
 
I’m guessing the difference comes down to aerodynamics and the GC’s extra weight. Would the Hellcat motor be enough to overcome that and close the gap?

@kleptomage  
I’d think a coupe would be faster than the crossover/SUV but perhaps AWD will truly shine in this situation!
 
I feel like FCA is now doing so many off-road options (Jeep models as well as Ram Rebel and Power Wagon). Looks like GM only has the Colorado offload package that could ever compete. Shall be an interesting few years to see what off-road enthusiasts think of these new offerings.

It’ll be interesting to see whether the Trackhawk can beat the Hellcat 0-60. The Hellcat is so monstrously powerful it has trouble applying all that force via the rear tires and the Trackhawk will have power to all four wheels.

@RainbowDash69  
You may be in luck; they’re going to make a Grand Cherokee version called the “Trackhawk,” and it’s generally expected to be Hellcat powered. And unlike the one-off Trailcat, the Trackhawk will be an actual production model.

oh apparently it is old news and they call it the Trailcat ;)
 
nice… I wanna see it will the Grand Cherokee too!

@kleptomage  
Yep, that’s why so many people hate the Challenger. they expect more, but we forget what a pure muscle car is, sometimes.
 
Hellcat Jeep? is that a thing for real? I remember seeing a Hemi Wrangler, but that was an aftermarket engine swap

@RainbowDash69  
One thing I like about FCA is that they make vehicles nobody else would. What other company would think to build a Jeep with a Hellcat engine?
 
The Challenger is a brute force machine in the long tradition of muscle cars. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but a true sports car is about more than raw power.

@kleptomage  
egh, I’ve been worrying about what Fiat is gonna do to the V8 sedans ever since they became partners in 2011. Maybe Fiat will put some amazing new transmission/engine pair and turn the next Hellcat series into an amazing powerhouse?! I’m hoping they do something with that V8 Durango as well as the 300 SRT. Us Americans will always think “no replacement for displacement”
 
What you say about the Challenger, I agree with. I love the car, and I think it is a true sportscar. I’d happily pay for one if I had the money D: way cooler than the other, less practical sport cars!
 
@Flying Pancake  
I’ve been in a police Charger, they are pretty cool. (the driver seat, of course) With my interests, I think having no door handles would be lots of fun, like a good party trick

@kleptomage  
Yeah, and aside from potentially being thrashed with no warranty, ex-police Chargers usually don’t have interior rear door handles, so you lose some practicality unless you want to replace the whole door panel.
 
Still, they’d probably be cheap, and owning one would give you an excuse to endlessly quote the “cop motor, cop brakes” scene from Blues Brothers.

@Flying Pancake  
That’s what I’ve read. Apparently there simply isn’t space for all the parts. Maybe that will change with the next platform.
 
Well, you can buy used Charger pursuit specials. It’s just that cops use their cars hard and Dodge does not exactly have the greatest reputation for reliability to begin with. A new Charger you can get a good warranty on. I’m not so sure about used.