Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Automotive News & Views Automotive News & Views-Archives Karl's Daily Log Book 
2391 messages, Last post on Nov 30, 2005 at 6:50 AM
You are in the Automotive News & Views-Archives Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
Karl Brauer is the Editor in Chief of Edmunds.com, which means he finds himself in a different vehicle almost every day of the week. If you want a daily road test review regarding the latest cars and trucks to hit the market, along with commentary on everything from auto industry happenings to L.A. drivers to his latest close encounter with Johnny Law, this is the place to be.
|
|
|---|---|
|
I spent yesterday driving three of the most capable performance cars built in the good ol' U.S. of A. My seat time came at Willow Springs Raceway, one of the fastest race tracks on the West Coast. I love the fact that each of these cars has over 500 horsepower and a top speed above 190 mph. And while few of them will be used as daily drivers by most buyers, all of them could easily serve that level of functionality. What a blast!! I think the Dodge Viper is really facing an uphill battle at this point. It essentially has no advantage over the Corvette (except maybe styling) and it has several disadvantages. It costs more. It's harder to get into and out of. It doesn't offer any convenience features like cruise control, stability control or automatic climate control, not to mention the Z06's optional DVD navigation, satellite radio and Heads-Up display. Both cars have an interior that can cook you, but the Corvette needs to be driven hard before the central tunnel area heats up. The Viper gets hot pretty not matter what. I was driving it at highway speeds in a relaxed nature -- during a cloudy day with a slight drizzle, and it STILL got hot inside. Both cars are easier to drive than you might think for 500-plus horsepower beasts. The Viper Coupe is particularly easy to manage, at least compared to earlier versions. Then there's the Ford GT. You could buy both of the other cars for the price of the GT, and yet I still consider Ford's supercar a bargain. Unlike the Dodge or Chevy, Ford's car talks to you with communicative steering and a nimble, willing nature. Obviously the mid-engine design adds a level of exoticism the other two don't offer, but the interior quality and overall execution is also twice as good as the others. The Ford also pulled the quickest lap times at the track, though all three cars were within a second of each other. We'll be doing instrumented testing for 0-60, 1/4-mile and braking on Friday. Stay tuned for those figures! |
|
|
Replying to: editor_karl (Oct 26, 2005 3:28 pm) Who was driving? You? If it was you, I'd argue that you're more familiar with the handling dynamics of the GT.
|
|
|
Replying to: editor_karl (Oct 26, 2005 3:28 pm)
|
|
|
Replying to: kevm14 (Oct 25, 2005 5:42 am) Actually it would. Right now it gets warm enough during the day in AZ to use the A/C, so I set the temp for 70 degrees. Then the next morning, its in the 50s so I want to turn on the heat. If I remote started the car with your programming it would turn on the A/C, further cooling the vehicle. It makes perfect sense for the climate system to figure out that if its cold outside, I want heat and if its warm or hot outside I want A/C. Why are you even using the remote start feature? Just leave the car running!! If I did that, all someone would have to do is smash the window in and drive off with my car. With remote start, my car isn't going anywhere. 
|
|
|
Replying to: tayl0rd (Oct 27, 2005 8:45 am) http://ford.jbcarpages.com/GT/2005/index4.php
|
|
|
Replying to: nitromax (Oct 27, 2005 9:54 am) |
|
|
|
|
I do not think this is the 2007 Envoy - http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=107665 rather it is the upcoming Acadia based on the Lambada paltform. At least that is the consensus at a GM enthusiast site.
|
|
|
Replying to: redmaxx (Oct 27, 2005 8:56 am) But you don't get what I am saying. If you set the auto climate control on 70°, then during the day when it's really hot, the HVAC cools the car to 70°, all autonomously. Great. You're happy. Then let the car sit overnight where it's in the 50s, remote start it and - guess what - with the auto climate control set on 70° it's STILL going to bring the car's interior to 70° which requires - HEAT. What's the problem again? It takes care of itself, setting the interior to 70° regardless of whether it needs HEAT or A/C to do it. That is the WHOLE POINT of automatic climate control.
|
|
|
That will be an important model for GM. TrailBlazer gets clobbered by the Explorer and the double-threat of the Grand Cherokee and Durango from DCX. Rendezvous never really caught on, so this should give GM a better shot at some mid-size SUV/Crossover sales. -juice |
|
|
Replying to: editor_karl (Oct 26, 2005 3:28 pm) Who writes the comments for the news updates provided daily on Inside Line? I read today's news and saw the comments suggesting that GM is late to the party because Lexus may have a 8 speed auto next year. That didnt make much sense to me because we all know the majoity of vehicles on the road today have 5 speed auto. Even Lexus/BMW/Audi use 6 speeds. Acura and Infiniti don't even offer a 6 speed at this time so I fail to see how GM is late with their 6 speed autos. |
|
You are here:
Forums
Automotive News & Views Automotive News & Views-Archives Karl's Daily Log Book
