My Motoring Year 2008

[Colin]

It's nearly the end of 2008, so I wrote up the various events of my motoring year 2008 for "The Motor"............. although it does refer to some of the forummers over there by name, the rest of the article may be of interest to some of you here, so  here is the link:

http://www.themotor.net/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=71&func=view&catid=11&id=314

Most of the cars driven, events attended and museums explored are described in more detail on the site if you go looking.

Enjoy!

[CJ]

I always enjoy reading your reviews.

[2o6]

Excellent reviews/writeups! I really enjoyed your perspective on the US cars. However, US rental cars are abused MUCH more than their European counterparts.

[SVT666]

Funny.  I can't agree one bit with your reviews of the Explorer, Maverick (I'm guessing that's the Escape), Trailblazer, or Sportage.  The Sportage is horrid, and the other three are nowhere near as bad as you say...though I've been driving trucks like that my whole life, so it may be that I'm just used to them.

[dazzleman]

Very interesting, Colin.  What a blast your whole year sounds like.  The Studebaker museum looked really interesting; my mom had a Studebaker back in the 1950s when she first started driving, and said it was a terrible car.  But until those pictures of the Studebaker museum, I don't think I had ever actually seen one.

Have you met anybody from carspin besides Wimmer?  If you're back on the east coast of the US at some point, we should set up a get-together since we have a lot of carspin members in that general area.

[SVT666]

What do you do for a living that has you all over the world like this?

[Colin]

Very interesting, Colin.  What a blast your whole year sounds like.  The Studebaker museum looked really interesting; my mom had a Studebaker back in the 1950s when she first started driving, and said it was a terrible car.  But until those pictures of the Studebaker museum, I don't think I had ever actually seen one.

Have you met anybody from carspin besides Wimmer?  If you're back on the east coast of the US at some point, we should set up a get-together since we have a lot of carspin members in that general area.

Wimmer's the only CarSpinner I've met to date........  I don't tend to spend much time on the East Coast, sadly. My US time is mainly in California and Schaumburg, IL. If I am going to be there, though, I will certainly let you know.

[ifcar]

Funny.  I can't agree one bit with your reviews of the Explorer, Maverick (I'm guessing that's the Escape), Trailblazer, or Sportage.  The Sportage is horrid, and the other three are nowhere near as bad as you say...though I've been driving trucks like that my whole life, so it may be that I'm just used to them.

What was your problem with the Sportage?

And the Escape's stickshift is indeed quite unpleasant compared to any new vehicle than a work truck.

[2o6]

  The Sportage is horrid, and the other three are nowhere near as bad as you say...though I've been driving trucks like that my whole life, so it may be that I'm just used to them.

The european Sportage is made with better materials.

[Colin]

It was the stickshift in the Maverick (Escape) that was its worst feature...... assuming you could overlook the rather nasty quality of plastics. Coupled with the 2.3 litre 4 cylinder engine, this was not an impressive car.

The Sportage was much better. The diesel engine was a bit noisy, and the interior plastics are not up to the standard of the latest products like the Cee'd, but overall, I actually quite liked this car. It was Hemi666 who declared that he did not.

[dazzleman]

Colin, you seem to have a real bias against traditional American cars, based upon your comments about cars like the Jeep Cherokee and the Pontiac Grand Prix.

I don't disagree with you, but can you elaborate on that position a bit?  What is it exactly that you don't like -- the handling, suspension, steering?  Or something else?

[2o6]

Yeah, aside from some slightly cheap materials and mediocre packaging that results in a tight backseat, the Grand Prix is a nice car. It's not a car to handle supertight like a 3-series, but Americans don't want that. It's a highway cruiser that can handle some mild twisties in the backroads. It's the same story with the Monte Carlo.


If I'm right, the Maverick is a direct import of our Escape, without any materials changed. Not surprised that you didn't like it.

[Colin]

Colin, you seem to have a real bias against traditional American cars, based upon your comments about cars like the Jeep Cherokee and the Pontiac Grand Prix.

I don't disagree with you, but can you elaborate on that position a bit?  What is it exactly that you don't like -- the handling, suspension, steering?  Or something else?

You need to read the more detailed reports, which you can find on "The Motor" website.......... I do try to keep an open mind, but some of the cars are still worse than disappointing. Interior quality is improving (except Chrysler Group), and I accept some of the other things I don't like are down to taste (soft suspension is not really my thing!). 

Let's be honest, even the US press have not exactly been effusive in their praise of the Grand Prix, have they?

I did enjoy the Mercury Sable, which I thought was actually pretty good.

Oh, and the Grand Cherokee test was not me.... that was a fellow UK member of "The Motor" - and like most Brits who only occasionally experience domestic American metal, he was far more critical than I am!

[ifcar]

Yeah, aside from some slightly cheap materials and mediocre packaging that results in a tight backseat, the Grand Prix is a nice car. It's not a car to handle supertight like a 3-series, but Americans don't want that. It's a highway cruiser that can handle some mild twisties in the backroads. It's the same story with the Monte Carlo.

It's not a good highway cruiser and it doesn't handle well.

[the Teuton]

The european Sportage is made with better materials.

How do you know?

Colin, you seem to have a real bias against traditional American cars, based upon your comments about cars like the Jeep Cherokee and the Pontiac Grand Prix.

I don't disagree with you, but can you elaborate on that position a bit?  What is it exactly that you don't like -- the handling, suspension, steering?  Or something else?

The Grand Prix is a terrible car.  It is by far the worst W Car out there.  By comparison, the Liberty/Cherokee, too, is pretty bad.

Yeah, aside from some slightly cheap materials and mediocre packaging that results in a tight backseat, the Grand Prix is a nice car. It's not a car to handle supertight like a 3-series, but Americans don't want that. It's a highway cruiser that can handle some mild twisties in the backroads. It's the same story with the Monte Carlo.


If I'm right, the Maverick is a direct import of our Escape, without any materials changed. Not surprised that you didn't like it.

Let me say this again:  The Grand Prix is a terrible car.

[CJ]

The Grand Prix is a terrible car.

[2o6]

I LIKE IT, ALRIGHT!? I THINK IT'S CUTE.




Actually, I like the Bonneville better. Preferably in SSEi or GXP trim.

[CJ]

I LIKE IT, ALRIGHT!? I THINK IT'S CUTE.




Actually, I like the Bonneville better. Preferably in SSEi or GXP trim.

The Grand Prix is just a crappy car. 

[the Teuton]

The Grand Prix is just a crappy car. 

Werd. 

It is the retard bastard child of the W Body.

[2o6]

The Grand Prix is just a crappy car. 

My bro has one. It's not the best, but It's reliable.

[ChrisV]

I almost got a '99 grand Prix GTP in black, lik ethis one:



Man that car drove nice. But I ended up getting a better deal on the SVT, so that's the direction I went.

[the Teuton]

The 1997-01 GP looked good, and I thought it was a better car.  The new one is relatively terrible in this market.

[hotrodalex]

I almost got a '99 grand Prix GTP in black, lik ethis one:



Man that car drove nice. But I ended up getting a better deal on the SVT, so that's the direction I went.

If only they were RWD.

[CJ]

I almost got a 1999 Grand Prix GTP, but it sold.

[the Teuton]

If only they were RWD.

There was a model like that.  It was called the GTO.

[ChrisV]

If only they were RWD.

In a street car I wasn't so concerned with that. Witness the SVT I ended up with instead. Both cars actually handled excellent.

[hotrodalex]

There was a model like that.  It was called the GTO.

And I like that one.

[the Teuton]

For a "wide track" car, did you know that the 2002-2007 Grand Prix was actually narrower than its predecessor?