Let's talk about random things about cars...To start Should you warm up your car https://www.yahoo.com/autos/biggest-myth-warming-car-winter-164138459.html
It's a good article, but I think that old habit of warming up the car before driving was somewhat curing itself. This hasn't really been necessary since cars started being equipped with fuel injection (replacing carburetors). I think people still will warm their engines just for the sake of comfort, especially while clearing snow from their cars. One thing that is important is that you shouldn't rev the engine too high before it's starting to get warm.
Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep interiors are so fucking cheap feeling, unpleasing to the eye and outdated compared to all other car makers. Ford has stepped their game up tremendously. The Kia K900 is such a sexy beast. Why the fuck does all Nissans have this stink musty smell inside?
I don't warm it up in summer or on a mild winter day, but on freezing cold, ice, blistering winds and rainy days I do. I usually sort the breakfasts out then look out the window, if it's a particularly nasty day I go out and start the car with the spare key and lock it with the main key. Which clears the thick ice and makes the car warm for my youngest who is a bit weak chested.
Yeah, even when the US manufacturers really stepped up their game Chrysler (while significantly improved) was still lagged a bit behind in terms of fit-and-finish/quality control and overall reliability. I wonder if it's suffered even further since mergers with M-B, and now Fiat. Hyundai/Kia vehicles are impressive nowadays. I remember the old days when Hyundai was a laughing stock, and Kia wasn't much better. I admire how they kept striving over the years and now they offer very nice and reliable vehicles. I agree that Ford has improved significantly. I am most impressed with GM, especially Cadillac. They're at the point now where the German luxury manufacturers (who were used to not taking Cadillac seriosuly) have watched helplessly as Cadillac has caught up, and passing them.
Diamler/Chrysler has actually benefitted substantially with the help of Mercedes. Mercedes made tremendous efforts to help revitalize the Dodge brand after the Economic Recession in 2008. Things like the fit/finish have yet to really make improvements until more recently as seen on the interior of the 2016 Dodge Challenger vs the 2014 Dodge Challenger. As for the exteriors, Mercedes' team has helped craft the designs of the 2015 Dodge Viper, the 2010-2016 Dodge Challenger, the new Dodge Durango, as well as the new Dodge Charger. I believe they also had a hand in penning the designs for the 2010-current RAM pickup trucks. As for Hyundai/Kia, they were able to me substantial improvements by hiring Luc Donckerwolke, former design director of Volkswagen Group's Bentley, Lamborghini and Audi. Since then, their design language and quality has improved to levels never seen before within the brand. They're completely renovating their brand and have plans to move their market more upscale with each year.
I can agree that M-B helped Chrysler vehicles (especially the RWD cars), but I wonder just how much. I say this because even now when their midsize offering (Chrysler 200) which is one of the more important segments in terms of volume still trails the competition. Even the minivans... a market that they ruled for a long time is not nearly as good as others like the Honda Odyssey, and Toyota Sienna. I definitely think they've been on the right track in terms of styling since the 90s with the LH cars and so on. I hope the overall quality does continue to improve as it is needed.
Lol my old neighbourhood I never bothered locking it with the spare key even, relatively newish area for me (10miles from old place) but I have left the boot up and the car doors open (by accident, regular thing though) nothing gone from the car. But!!! the other day I went out and some bastard had thrown an Alpro Grape yoghurt onto the tarmac of my driveway, place is obviously a Dive with such behaviour.
You must be talking performance wise with the cts v because I feel that Germans always took Cadillac seriously taking notes from them and incorporating it into they own. I don't see Cadillac passing them anytime soon. Cadillac still doesn't have a flagship car since the DTS. I forgot what their new big body car is called, ct6, i think, but i think it's going to flop. I read that in China that buicks and ford Taurus have more prestige then Cadillac over there. Speaking of flopping, i think the new Lincoln contentinal will flop hard out the gate as well. That auto segment is way too crowded that has just as much little luxuries with a lower price and better brand track record.
This is the first time I've heard of Mercedes team help craft dodge vehicles. MB and Chrysler split in 06. All I know is a couple vehicles shared the same platforms and and components during the marriage. Also the Mercedes gullwing was supposed to be a viper at first.
At this time I'm saying peformance-wise, and overall bang for the buck. Also...Unless the German high end make some serious strides in terms in therms of quality... I see Cadillac catching them very soon. Admittedly, their quality levels are excellent, but Cadillac is serious, and now everyone knows it. I'm absolutely certain that Cadillac has them beaten in reliability. Yes, their new car is the CT6, but while it's widely speculated that it will be the flagship.... Cadillac is not declaring it to be their flagship, and there's rumor that a flagship is in development. I don't know a lot about the China market, but I do know that Buick has had a significant presence there for some time. I have no idea about Cadillac and Ford in China. I do agree that the auto industry simply has too many makes and models. There's a ton of overlap within individual companies. This is part of the reason (also being broke) that it was necessary for GM to reorganize. There much better with Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn and even Hummer gone. I didn't realize they were still involved either, especially with Chrysler joining the Fiat group.