I mentioned that the power output on the 2.4l Ecotec 4-banger in the 'Nox is pretty impressive compared to what a 305 TBI small-block made in 1996...
The 1971 tragedy of the Dura-Built 140, 2.3l of screaming inline-4 making 70 hp. 110 horsepower for the Cosworth.
In 1977 Pontiac introduced the iconic Iron-Duke inline 4. Its 2.5l made 85 to 110 horses and stayed in production until 1993! This was the first GM 4-banger to get throttle body injection (TBI).
From then until 2003 we got the 122 which came in three sizes, 1.8, 2.0 and 2.2 liters. It could be had with carbs, TBI, and multi-point injection (MPFI) and could make 83 to 120 horses.
I am unaware of anyone truly happy owning the Dura-Built or Iron-Duke (except that the Duke was nigh indestructible.)
This brings us to the Ecotec.
The first gen is MPFI, the second direct injection.
The worst performer of this batch is the 135hp 2.2l in the Saturn L-Series.
The best is the 275hp turbo 2.0 version in the Camaro.
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Tamara Keel's blog has a mention of the Jaguar XF-Sportbrake wagon. Not a car person, so I was unaware of its existence.
ReplyDeleteIf I had the $$$ to afford it, I'd surely be looking hard at that one. I like vehicles you can 'crash out' inside comfortably and/or carry a fairly good size load of cargo. My wife's long gone VW Passat wagon was a good one until a mechanic fooked it all up and we had to sell it.
jrg
I saw that.
DeleteThough I think you shouldn't question people's taste and mourn the lack of sales of a car without an example in your driveway.
If GM built a proper 2 door, rear wheel drive, v8 powered car with a decent sized back seat and trunk I'd buy it. But I've been told repeatedly by car salesmen and GM exects that I'm one of about 6 guys in the US that would buy a modern "Chevelle" if GM built it. Until then it is Corvettes and pickups in my driveway. Well, they'd still be there because they serve other needs.
DeleteCadillac has at least one.
DeleteThe GM exec is correct. The market demand is severely limited for such things.
Sad as it is being a member of the market who wants such things.
Emissions is as much to blame as anything for the V-8 RWD going away, but that advancing tech I talk about is another. Most people don't want, let alone need, what a modern V-8 can do.
The power output of the typical passenger car is astonishingly steady since the 1960's. The weights stay about the same too, even though they get smaller for the same mass.
Safer? Get's better mileage? More reliable? Sold! The average consumer is pleased.
The non-average customer can be mollified with niche cars like Corvettes, Camaros, Challengers, Chargers and Mustangs.
I really don't have nice things to say about people who buy pick-ups to use as a car. Mostly because nearly every single one of them appears to think it's a 3k lb. Tercel and not a three ton rolling road-block.
I can't afford a Caddy. That and they discontinued the 2 door version of the CTS V. I need a pickup to pull a trailer, it gets used as a car because it is what we have. Most cars today just can't tow well, not as much because they don't have enough power, but because they either don't have enough frame under them to handle the hitch, or because they don't have enough suspension to handle the load. The SUVs I'd be comfortable pulling a trailer with are all as big as a pickup.
DeleteYou said they didn't make one, now you've changed to "can't afford one"? We don't let the liberals do this.
DeleteIf you actually tow something then you're not treating your pick-up as a car.
But I've seen this justification way too many times from people who have never towed anything. They're not going to tow anything, but they could. And they drive like they own the road and never check to see if there's anyone on their right side before changing lanes because even if they looked they have that mirror aimed solidly at the rear fender.
Caddy DID make one, the CTS V Coupe. They don't make it anymore, it was discontinued after 2015. I couldn't afford one when they made it. Used ones hold their value well enough I still can't afford one. The rumors of a Chevrolet price range version of it never panned out, and now apparently never will. I do actually tow on a fairly regular basis (double axle trailer with a car on it), and I haul enough big items (tables, chairs, etc, for club events mostly) frequently enough that the bed gets used in ways that wouldn't always be convenient even with a large SUV like a Tahoe or Suburban. But all the rest of the time it gets used like a car because it is what we have. And after googling it, even if I bought a used CTS V Coupe, it doesn't have enough towing capacity without beefing up the rear suspension. I need approx 4500-5000 lbs between the trailer and the car on it, the CTS V is rated for up to 1000. It might be a lot of work to upgrade that suspension enough to handle 4500 lbs.
DeleteDid you know that emissions is STILL the reason that cars can't tow?
DeleteEverything has to be made ever lighter.
The person I'm complaining about is the person who uses their long-bed, crew-cab exclusively as a car. There's no hitch, often no trailer wiring, on the back. There's a tonneau cover over the bed that never gets moved.
This is 95% of the pick-ups sold near as I can tell. If you want to be insulted along with these morons, remember you've self selected for inclusion: I didn't put you there.
I'll stay away from commenting on the idea of trailering a perfectly streetable, running car.
DeleteI see that too often as well.
They're made to drive, so drive them!
There's a whole other series of opinion about needing a tow vehicle on a regular basis for a street car. For the money the truck cost, you could have made the car you're dragging around reliable.
Yes, I am sure that emissions and fuel milage are major reasons why most cars can't tow. However, I don't see what you are talking about that pervasively here in Texas, but perhaps it is different than Florida. Sure, there are some people who do what you are talking about, but a large percentage of the trucks here actually get used as trucks. One funny thing about towing a car to race events is that our pickup actually gets better gas milage towing the C4 than the car gets when driven. Even on the highway. And the C4 gets way better mileage than the C3. But there are reasons for towing other than the car not being able to get there and back -- although that's an issue too. You know that old saying "if you race it, you'll break it". Even a car generally reliable enough to daily drive isn't immune to things breaking when you're running it full out. Plus it is hard to pack everything you need for a race weekend out of town into a Corvette. Especially if it is a split autocross and drag weekend where you may need to bring two sets of tires. And a jack, and tools, etc.
DeleteI've driven my C4 as far as Bowling Green for events, back before I had all the means available to tow. And I still will drive to events if they are within 2 hours or so. In a pinch when our truck was being repaired (rear ended by a cab), we drove the C4 to OKC to race. But it is awfully convenient to tow for those longer distances when possible. Just because I could drive the car doesn't mean I always want to.
And as far as people driving like @$$#013$, it isn't pickup drivers around here that usually get on my nerves. Among the worst are Prius drivers, who all think they need to be the enforcers of speed limits (get in front of people then slow down), the micro car drivers (Smart Car, Fiat 500, Mini, Kia Soul, etc) who think just because they CAN fit into that space in front of you, they should. And the soccer moms driving crossovers the absolute worst as they're mostly all just generally distracted and clueless.
By the way, if you have a dedicated race car you trailer to races... you really cannot claim poverty as a reason for not getting a normal car.
DeleteIt's a decision you've made to spend money you have on something else.
Just sayin'.
I don't have a dedicated race car. I have a daily driver car that I trailer to races when I can if they are over about an hour and a half to 2 hours. I could probably get a "normal car". If anyone actually made one worth getting (by my opinion), maybe I would. I suspect you'd probably bust my balls worse for compromising my principles, at least based on a few I had in the past to satisfy what the wife wanted. Actually if I felt the need to have a new daily driver, it would probably be another Silverado. Just because that is the closest thing to matching my wish list. 2 door, V8, rear wheel drive, full frame, not a Ford, not green. Can't think of much else I could find on a new car lot that would be any smaller in a price range I could actually get a loan on. That's not the same as claiming poverty either. If I went to a Cadillac dealer they'd probably get a good laugh when I tried to finance it. Well, if they didn't kick me off the lot upon seeing me. I get a little better reaction when I show up at a Chevy dealer.
DeletePick your justification veneer and stick to it.
DeleteIf your "race car" is a daily driver then you don't need your open trunked 2-door car for daily driving.
But having two cars for daily driving when there's just you... yeah that also takes poverty off the table.
You're being amazingly defensive about this.
We have two drivers going to different places. So my daily driver Corvette doesn't mean that the wife doesn't need a daily driver. It isn't just me. Poverty was never claimed. There is a whole lot of space between not being able to afford a Cadillac and poverty. That goes both ways. One could as easily say that you're being amazingly offensive about this. That's it, while I have no interest in driving a crossover doesn't mean I think nobody should be allowed to have one. You're essentially saying nobody has justification for having a pickup if they ever drive it without hauling something. Even occasional need for a pickup to me seems like reasonable justification to have one. And while not impoverished, not all of us have the resources (or place to park) a bunch of extra vehicles to have something we only use for a dedicated purpose. I've already got one non-daily driver occupying a garage space. That one has legitimate reasons it can't be a daily driver - namely the insurance and the antique plates don't allow for that. I'm not going to apologize for keeping my C3. It's my baby. You've got similar things that hold sentimental value, whether you'll admit it or not. The other reason there is a difference not being able to afford a Caddy isn't the same as impoverished is that both of my Corvettes put together aren't worth even 1/2 the going price for a well used and abused CTS V or any of the other few (and far older in most cases) cars. Any car like that in that price range probably isn't going to be significantly more reliable than my 30 and 40 year old Corvettes.
DeleteI know Iowa's education program isn't great but just up thread you use the words "can't afford".
DeleteThat's an appeal to poverty.
Pick a story and stick to it. I'm not judging you, I'm just wanting you to be honest with yourself about why you're doing what you're doing.
It prolly doesn't help to be told that others have noticed the self contradictions in just this comment thread.
Own and daily a truck because you like trucks? Cool. But that means you're going to be lumped in with the morons who don't know how to drive being a menace to smaller vehicles. You don't notice them in Texas because you're among them in your truck.
Own a "race-car" and it's an unreliable POS because it's still mostly stock parts? Own that shit!
But don't dissemble here like I haven't known you for decades.
And another thing!
ReplyDeleteNot Ford.
Not green.
V-8.
Rear drive.
2-Door.
Those cars are everywhere.
They're not new, but they're affordable.
They can be endlessly updated and upgraded to be just as docile as a modern car too. Generally for less money total than buying even a used pick-up that's 15 years old or newer.
Getting parts for most of them isn't even an issue because the aftermarket has nearly every single part anymore.