range

Fortune Magazine on GM - Despite a total overhaul of its product line, Saturn's sales have been worse than bad, down 28.8% in March. Wagoner and other GM executives have been adamant about their intention to keep all seven of GM's North American brands alive despite the automaker's shrinking market share. They may have to reconsider the case of Saturn. - GM is counting on the arrival of the compact Astra to boost Saturn's results. But the Astra is nothing more than a German Opel that has been rebadged for American buyers, and it feels like one too, with an instrument panel that gives new meaning to the word "severe." Astra could have difficult attracting American buyers and may not be the car to save Saturn that GM is expecting. Besides, GM isn't saying, but it will likely lose money on every Astra it sells. The cars are built in Belgium, where they pay workers in expensive Euros rather than cheap dollars.

Sorry but the Civic system is nothing compared to the Prius and FEH. The Civic can not accelerate on electric power, it can not idle around parking lots on electric, it can not move in stop and go traffic in electric mode and it can not maintain a constant cruise except for a limited condition that most drivers would never experience (a flat or downhill surface when the battery is at maximum charge, and only at speeds between 15-20 mph). Perhaps you should actually drive a Prius and Civic back to back and witness the difference. And speaking of lagging the marketplace in technology, where are those 6 speed automatics from Honda?

He just got owned but can't admit it.

and now we find out the new Tundra has rust problems too, and they haven;t even been on the roads for very long. LINK

AD CAMPAIGN FEATURING EMPLOYEES PREMIERES ON AMERICAN IDOL "A new national TV advertising campaign for Ford Motor Company premieres on American Idol, April 8, and stars several Dearborn-based employees. Shot in Ford facilities and on the streets of sunny California, the ads focus on the four pillars of Ford’s “Drive one” campaign: Quality, Green, Safety and Smart Technology. They feature unscripted, real-life interviews with several Ford engineers and technical experts about the work they do and the company’s advances in each area. continued

LINK

Gosh, you don't seem to know much about the Panther if you are oblivious to the changes made for MY2003. *New frame – combined with redesigned independent front suspension and new monotube shock absorbers at all four wheels – contributes to a smoother, more controlled ride and improved handling *New variable-ratio rack-and-pinion steering system with variable power assist provides a more precise, smooth and even feel. *Turning circle reduced by nearly one foot *New dual-rate brake booster automatically applies full braking power in a panic stop *New full-perimeter frame with lightweight hydroformed steel sections for the front rails to improve frontal and offset crash performance *Redesigned frame cross members and *New optional side impact air bags improve side-impact crash performance RIDE AND HANDLING The new, stiffer frame is the foundation of the 2003 Ford Crown Victoria’s improved ride quality and handling precision. A new design improves the frame’s torsional rigidity by 24 percent and its resistance to vertical bending by 20 percent. A frame that resists twisting and bending allows the suspension components to operate more efficiently, and it also limits the transmission of noise, vibration and harshness into the body structure. At the same time, engineers redesigned Crown Victoria’s independent short- and long-arm front suspension. ->Changes include a new, more robust steel upper control arm, a new aluminum lower control arm and steering knuckle, coil-over-shock springs, monotube shock absorbers and revised suspension geometry for improved tracking at highway speeds and more control during cornering and on rough roads. In the rear, upper and lower control arms and a lateral Watt’s linkage locate the Crown Victoria’s live-axle rear suspension, which also employs monotube shock absorbers. The shock absorbers are now mounted outboard of the frame rails, which allows them to better manage the unsprung mass of the axle. Load-leveling air springs are available as an option on some models. STEERING For 2003, Crown Victoria replaces its previous recirculating ball steering gear with a new rack-and-pinion system that is not only far more precise, but also 22.5 pounds lighter. In general, rack-and-pinion steering systems tend to offer more precision as they have fewer linkages than recirculating ball systems. Road feel also is improved because operating friction is substantially reduced. An added bonus is a tighter turning circle for the 2003 Crown Victoria, which has been reduced by nearly a foot compared to the previous model. The new Crown Victoria steering has a variable-ratio gear, as well as speed-sensitive power assist. The variable-ratio gear improves both maneuverability and straight-ahead control. The steering gear also incorporates a variable-assist feature. At low speeds, boost is increased to reduce efforts, particularly at parking-lot speeds. As speeds increase, power assist is reduced, which helps impart a feeling of control. BRAKES Improvements also have been made to the Crown Victoria’s four-wheel disc, anti-lock brake system (ABS). Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) is now used to dynamically proportion braking forces front to rear. EBD effectively raises the threshold for ABS engagement by optimizing front-to-rear brake bias. In addition, a new dual-rate brake booster with “panic assist” automatically supplies full braking power even if the driver doesn’t initially apply enough pedal pressure to engage the standard anti-lock braking system. SAFETY AND SECURITY Major contributors to Crown Victoria’s safety performance are a robust frame design, which is improved for 2003 with hydroformed front rails with a large crumple zone and Ford Motor Company’s Personal Safety System™. The Personal Safety System includes dual-stage front air bags, which are deployed according to crash severity, safety belt usage and the driver’s seat position relative to the steering wheel. The system is equipped with the newest feature, seat-weight sensing, also called Occupant Classification Sensing

New Toyota Tundra Problem- Rust

VIDEO of Safety Problem Interesting video of the problem and Toyota's (lack of) response.

Toyota truck safety complaints mount LINK

Toyota pickup probe pushed

I was talking about the * not the Milan. * = Crown Vic

That's because Tundra aren't made to do real work. Toyota's design standards are inferior to domestic trucks. Thats why the Toyota aren't holding up to normal usage and why Toyota is warnign customers not to load ATVs and other items into the bed. What a joke.

Given the problems Toyota has building a quality frame, its no wonder consumers who need to perform real work (instead of just getting groceries) choose domestic trucks. Toyota's rust defects and Toyota's "Tri-flex" bendable Tundra frame pretty much sums up Toyota's design standards when it comes to trucks.

The video said customers can choose either aluminum or wood trim.

If Ford actually did advertise the Taurus, here are two good sound bites: Taurus: Rated the safest full-size car in America Taurus: Rated #1 In Customer Satisfaction

some more info from Drive One DRIVE ONE

Don't feel sad I'm sure the will do well when AARP announces their Car of the Year award!

Yea, I was thinking it would be introduced early next year for a Fall release. They also mention the 2010 Mustang will be launched early next year too.

Sounds like someone is jealous the didn't make it to the top of the study.

An interesting footnote in the study is how well the new Volvo S80 did in quality. Its TGW number is less than 1 per car. Thats a good showing for any manufacturer, and especially Volvo. It seems Ford is having some positive influence on the quality of new vehicle launches at Volvo.

Automotive News reported this week the all new taurus starts production early next year. I doubt we'll see much specific adverting in the remaining months of the current Taurus. I think most of this years marketing budget will go to "Ford. Drive One" and for new launches (ie Flex, F-150).

Hmmmm, is there a different JDPower out there? The latest JDPower quality survey shows Buick below average in quality. Buick leads in the dependability study, but not in the large car segment. Ford takes the #1 and #2 spots.

It sure seems to have been hard for Buick, and Pontiac and Toyota and Chrysler and...... Taurus, #1 in Customer Satisfaction.

Between this problem and the Tundra's weak frame problem, its pretty apparent Toyota still does not know how to build a tough truck.