General Car Discussion

My take on this is that there will be more engine options coming down the line. I was a little stunned when I learned the 2.3 Ecoboost was the only engine option.

 

Also applies in America, the focus in the US had the 1.0 as an option.
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And you're still failing to understand one major point. The vast majority of road users, dare I even say as high as 90-95%, aren't car people. The car is a tool and the majority of the public wants something that gets them from A-B cheaply. It's not a few people out there, it's a few people out there that aren't looking for this and only a few of those that oppose things as greatly as you do. Not accelerating economically implies to be that you just make 0-somewhere over speed limit pulls as quick as you can everywhere which is frankly you driving like a complete and utter twat that shouldn't be allowed to drive.


I've driven the 123hp variant of the ecoboost. You can tell it's turbo charged, it does make turbo noises, you can even just about hear the diverter valve opening (as with just about every turbocharged motor in the last 2 decades -even sporty ones- it's got a diverter that recycles air back to intake rather than a blow off valve, still hisses while reducing lag and in many cases easier to tune the engine to not dangerously lean out as you release boost). It lags, not a lot, but it does have lag. It oddly feels like it has two boost thresholds which is actually pretty fun, can feel turbo going from doing nothing to spooling at 2k, then by 3.5 you almost feel it getting a second wind and delivering all 20lbs of boost (24 on the higher power model and I think 14 on the lower model). It *feels* fast. It is extremely drivable in the city, get it open road and it's no slouch. It can merge onto a highway irresponsibly fast. And yet end of the day you've averaged over 50mpg. I want to put that engine in something like a classic mini.
The 1.5L version is out soon and should be more of the same but pushing more power.

Outrunning 2 G35's in a sunbird is highly unimpressive without hiding in traffic. I've kept toe to toe with porches in a 1.0 Corsa. Try driving a speedy vehicle one day, you'll find something. Those faster cars you've overtaken or kept pace with etc, they probably aren't going for it, half the time it's funny as fuck when you're in the faster car to let them keep up and just watch them going for it

 

What MrAngry said, they're probably going to offer more engines once the truck's out on the market, because I remember when the new Mercedes E class hit US dealerships, only the E300 with the 2.0L turbo'd 4 cylinder was available, then later the E400 with turbo'd 3.0L V6 carried over from the previous gen, though eventually Mercedes went BMW style with a turbo'd straight 6, and then eventually the E63 came around. So yeah, I wonder how they're going to do things with this truck in the US market, considering that both the current Tacoma and the Colorado/Canyon offers both 4 bangers and a V6 atleast.

 

Every car should have something there for the enthusiast... and maybe something to turn normal people into enthusiasts. Old cars did this naturally; cable-actuated throttles and manual or pre-electronic automatic transmissions gave then snappy response and because the engines were naturally aspirated and bigger than was "optimal", they had extra power potential built in while still, at least in most cases, having enough power standard to keep the road muggles happy. The Sunbird was like that; even though its target market probably consisted mainly of secretaries and cheerleaders, it just felt like it was born to run somehow, like it was always chomping at the bit, begging you to let it sing. Sure, the cylinder head and exhaust manifold were both hot garbage, but that just meant there was room for those with the time, money, and inclination to make it into a truly nasty engine. Even my stupid little Escort feels quicker than it is simply because the engine is chained to your foot and has no choice but to obey. New ones are so insulating, so comfortable, and so thoroughly optimized in the pursuit of fuel economy that there's little to excite anyone and little power left for the shade-tree mechanic to tease out. There have always been cars designed for the A-to-B set, it's just that now they're becoming so over-optimized for the role that the enthusiast is being squeezed out.

I know I'm kind of jumping all over the place and not really doing the best job of getting my thoughts down in an organized manner, but that's because, for me, all this stuff goes together. Modern cars really remind me of the way a typical fast-food restaurant runs. The people in charge of those places have realized that, as long as the service times are fast enough and the food is cheap enough, people will keep coming back even if the employees are all bitter, broken shells of people and every bite adds 5 pounds to your waistline while tasting mediocre at best. So, they've decided that things like quality, innovation, employee morale, and decent wages can all be safely trampled in the relentless search for even more speed and profit. Modern cars are similar in outlook - things like driving joy and tuneability are irrelevant to the vast majority of drivers, so, the manufacturers reason, they can be safely strained out of every new product in the search for even more muggle appeal in the form of fuel economy (insane government regulations don't help here) and luxury creep. The result is cars built to the lowest common denominator. To put it quite plainly, we have now reached a point where efficiency is at war with joy itself, and it's not just with cars. The new breed of cars is, to be sure, plenty competent at grocery-getting but just plain lacks the romance that drove people to write songs about the old ones.

I don't floor it everywhere (though I do sometimes, not that it has much of an effect in an Escort LX), but I do like to get going. Very few things are more annoying than when you're running late to work only to end up behind someone who wants to level off just under the speed limit and get there as slowly as possible.

We actually left a light to get on the highway; when I saw the two tuned cars, I made up my mind to gun it away from the light and try to get in front of them. They started after me, then dropped back, but then I looked in my mirror and saw one of them coming up so I stomped on it again. Whatever was going through their minds, I don't know, I do know it's not really impressive, and that I was a complete cheeselord, but the purpose of bringing it up wasn't to impress anyone, it was just to prove that to me, there's more to a journey than its destination.

 

the 2.3 has more power than the v6 option in the tacoma, some trims more than the colorado too but I cant find which exact model is going in the ranger - doubt its the RSes full 350bhp model

 

Thank you Ford for butchering the already-butchered 2016 Ranger. Now, the only modern American trucks I can actually look at without calling BS is the RAM.

 

Truck. Kinda trucky.

 

It atleast looks passable for my standards in appearance, but that heavy Chevy looks horrendous.

 

Ever just look at a concept car & feel truly sad that you cant own one?

The 2004 Torana concept car, honestly such a beautiful concept. Holden wanted it in production by the funds were denied. A rwd midsize liftback-sedan, had a V6 engine. Just a gorgeous car.

 

Too bad it won't be in production after the cancellation of Holden. It does look nice.

Do you agree that this is similar to the 2007 Cadillac Escalade?

 

This could have actually sold in europe too under the nameplate opel or something

 

Absolutely! I think it could've sold globally. Europe under Opel, UK under Vauxhall & North America under Chevrolet. Maybe even China under Buick

 

Well, that would make sense considering at the time, Vauxhall and Opel was under control of GM, which owns Chevrolet.

 

Not to mention at the time Vauxhall was already selling the Commodore.

 

(I always think of the Commodore 64 when I hear Commodore.)
It would make a whole lot of sense. For example, Astra was both sold as Chevrolet and Holden as well.

 

No shit, it's a parody of a Cadillac Escalade.

 

That's what it said on the website I got it from, and I agree.

 

The website you got it from? That's literally a screenshot from Grand Theft Auto. You somehow continue to surprise me.

 

It's on a website that has a screenshot of the car in-game.
PROOF: http://www.igcd.net/vehicle.php?id=59328