Sunday, April 25, 2010
Over spring break the fam rented a 2010 Jeep Cherokee Laredo 4x4 to drive around OBX, NC. My basis of comparison is our 2008 Honda Pilot AWD, my wife’s everyday driver.
The Jeep had a beautiful black metallic paint job, and generally looked really nice. The interior was nicely appointed and generally comfortable, but was less roomy than our Pilot. This was especially true behind the back seat where the forward-sloped rear window dramatically cuts into interior space. Also, the distance between the back seat and the rear hatch at the cargo floor was significantly less than that of our Pilot. As a result there was much less space for cargo in the Jeep. The Pilot actually has a third-row seat; no way would a third seat fit in this Jeep.
On a related note, one thing I have never understood is why doors on US-made vehicles always seem to be 20-50% thicker and heavier than doors on similar foreign vehicles that have equal side crash protection. This directly impacts interior space and ease of exit and entry. This was certainly the case with the Cherokee as compared to our Pilot. In addition, the Jeep’s doors were designed so they opened a bit too far and with the hand-grasps so far aft that you had to lean WAY out of the vehicle to pull the doors closed. Also, the mechanisms that hold the doors open were all far too weak and the doors regularly swung shut on unsuspecting arms and legs - a bit of a pain. You would think that after 100 years of car design they would have figured out something this elementary.
Both the Jeep and our Pilot have V-6’s with a towing capacity of 3500 lbs. Our Pilot has consistently averages 20-21 mpg in mixed driving and usually gets 23+ on the highway. The Jeep’s average mileage for the week in mixed driving was just over 17 mpg even though the official rating is 21 mpg. Pretty unimpressive.
This Jeep is supposed to compete heads-up with the Pilot, and the newer version of the Pilot is nicer than our 2008. At over $36,000 for this Grand Cherokee, it just does not stack up unless one is a diehard Jeep fan. I sure would like to have that black metallic paint job on my Pilot, though.
The Jeep had a beautiful black metallic paint job, and generally looked really nice. The interior was nicely appointed and generally comfortable, but was less roomy than our Pilot. This was especially true behind the back seat where the forward-sloped rear window dramatically cuts into interior space. Also, the distance between the back seat and the rear hatch at the cargo floor was significantly less than that of our Pilot. As a result there was much less space for cargo in the Jeep. The Pilot actually has a third-row seat; no way would a third seat fit in this Jeep.
On a related note, one thing I have never understood is why doors on US-made vehicles always seem to be 20-50% thicker and heavier than doors on similar foreign vehicles that have equal side crash protection. This directly impacts interior space and ease of exit and entry. This was certainly the case with the Cherokee as compared to our Pilot. In addition, the Jeep’s doors were designed so they opened a bit too far and with the hand-grasps so far aft that you had to lean WAY out of the vehicle to pull the doors closed. Also, the mechanisms that hold the doors open were all far too weak and the doors regularly swung shut on unsuspecting arms and legs - a bit of a pain. You would think that after 100 years of car design they would have figured out something this elementary.
Both the Jeep and our Pilot have V-6’s with a towing capacity of 3500 lbs. Our Pilot has consistently averages 20-21 mpg in mixed driving and usually gets 23+ on the highway. The Jeep’s average mileage for the week in mixed driving was just over 17 mpg even though the official rating is 21 mpg. Pretty unimpressive.
This Jeep is supposed to compete heads-up with the Pilot, and the newer version of the Pilot is nicer than our 2008. At over $36,000 for this Grand Cherokee, it just does not stack up unless one is a diehard Jeep fan. I sure would like to have that black metallic paint job on my Pilot, though.
Photo from: http://www.cornermotors.com/
Friday, April 23, 2010
First, we see a Hummer H2, spotted in Virginia, which seems to be owned by somebody who likes to garden, but not very much. It has a large trailer attached to it which isn't being used to its' capabilities. Hmm, sounds like most Hummers...
Then we have this Porshce Panamera, which was spotted in Russia, was carrying a crappy Russian trailer along with it. This is definitely something you expect to see even less than a Hummer actually using its' capabilities.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
The Folks at Delahaye USA first surprised the world in 2008, when they restarted a name that hadn't been around since the famous Delahaye/Delage, maker of coachbuilt French automobiles, went down the drain in 1954. They said they intended to produce replicas of a famous Jacques Saoutchik-designed Delahaye cabriolet with modern conveniences such as a 500 ci Chevy V8, air conditioning, and power everything. The price brought most potential customers down from their nostalgia high, though, when it was announced that what most people percieved as a larger kit car was going to cost them $500,000. Since then, only one customer has bitten, commissioning a red droptop with gold trim in the traditional Delahaye fashion.
But you're not here about that car, are you? You saw that big, curvy boattail and the name obviously avoiding copyrights. You saw the word perfect in the title of this article. You know that there's something better than a Chevy-powered Delahaye, right? Well here it is: Delahaye USA has begun running ads in duPont Registry for a brand new project, one sure to blow their last car out of the water in perfeormance, styling, and above all, price. This obviously doesn't mean they're going to start shipping out new/old Bugatti's like Camry's all across the United States, but getting a near-perfect car for half the price of their old one doesn't sound bad, does it? That's right, Delahaye USA has created a stylized version of the famous, fabulous Bugatti Type 57 with BMW V-12 power and a beautiful body made of carbon fiber all for $250,000, half the price of the less pretty Delahaye (sorry, Saoutchik)! I know I shouldn't voice an official opinion before I see the car in person, but this is one of the most worthy cars ever to carry the Bugatti badge, even if it's not a "real" Bugatti. I'm telling you that this is more real than the Piechmobiles that we call Veyrons! Topping off the exterior styling and performance is the interior, which is possibly the only interior to make red and crocodile leather look elegant and subdued, with a thin, four-spoke chrome steering wheel and a relatively low number of guages (6) for such a sumptuous car. All in all, if you're not salivating at this point, there's something wrong with you. This is possibly the best car to come to the market since the coachbuilt era of the Thirties, and whoever came up with its streamlined, slightly modernized shape is a genius. This, my friends, may be the perfect car. You know, except in its name, the Bugnotti.
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