Ford Focus Hated. Who did not see this coming?

[IslandTractor]

Saw the story on the television. If I can find it online, I will post a link. I was tired from reading the oral arguments to the Supremes, so if I had to quote the story to you would be something like: Justice Sotomayer of the EPA was looking for limiting concepts of health care insurance related CO2 emissions of coal fired natural rights plants."

Edit: Never read the Sacramento Bee, but this is what I was referring to

New EPA rules expected to halt new coal-fired power plants - Business - The Sacramento Bee

Yeah I can see both sides. I think the main issue is that we do need to move towards cleaner energy so the issue is more whether the timing of this will cause problems or simply nudge the power plants towards natural gas as they are generally moving that way anyways. I imagine a lot of the screaming and hollering is just the coal producers who naturally are defending their turf.

 

[IslandTractor]

Saw an ad on the tube last night for the new Fiat (500??). Loks like a smooshed volkswagen. What a butt ugly car.

Bet they (Fiat-Chrysler) sell a pile here....not.

FIAT 500 Abarth ::: BigFun.be

You call that butt ugly???

 

[Oaktree]

Has nothing to do with regulations. It's a VW Diesel similar to those you can buy at your dealer except for the electric bits. I'm sure it will pass pollution and crash tests Thanks for posting the link as I've been waiting for a plug-in Diesel electric hybrid! Now we'll see if VW thinks it will sell here. The only reason the Volt, etc. does not have a Diesel is because Americans are too stupid to get past their opinions of Diesels thanks to the botched American car Diesels of the '70's.

It's not just the "botched American car diesels of the 70s" that gave them a bad name here. I had a VW Rabbit diesel in the early 80s. The second-biggest POS car I've ever owned (the worst being a mid-90s Corrola that was my wife's).

Most people here see diesels as the domain of trucks and heavy equipment, not passenger cars. I think it will take some pretty heavy PR (as well as a decent everyman's diesel car) to change that perception.

 

[Oaktree]

Saw an ad on the tube last night for the new Fiat (500??). Loks like a smooshed volkswagen. What a butt ugly car.

Bet they (Fiat-Chrysler) sell a pile here....not.

Was thinking the same thing. Stranger things have happened though...

 

[aczlan]

It's not just the "botched American car diesels of the 70s" that gave them a bad name here. I had a VW Rabbit diesel in the early 80s. The second-biggest POS car I've ever owned (the worst being a mid-90s Corrola that was my wife's).

What didn't you like about it? We had several Rabbits and Jettas from that timeframe and had good luck with them.

Aaron Z

 

[arrow]

There was no picture here Island or I should say my computer (Mac) showed no plug in. at any rate I have to agree with the previous poster. Granted the design effects (Arbarth) for the car are rather good looking but imo wasted on an ugly platform. They made the car "cute" to sell to what "women" only? When they recognized their mistake, they designed a treatment to make the car look "tough" because they weren't selling even to women. One thing that gets my goat is when car companies think that men will not buy small cars so that fact precludes designing a car that engenders simply great design. They screwed it up with the Neon and now they are screwing up with the Fiat 500. What I think is a good design for a small car is like the Chevy Sonic or the Cooper. What sold the Neon was not good design as much as an initial $7500 price tag. As those days are gone, they need good design.

 

[IslandTractor]

There was no picture here Island or I should say my computer (Mac) showed no plug in. .

Too bad. On my browser (IE9) I see a guy walking down the street who sees a gorgeous young Italian woman who starts to seduce him but at the final kiss she turns into the Fiat 500 Arbarth (the hot hatch version). Pretty good commercial.:laughing:

 

[Oaktree]

What didn't you like about it? We had several Rabbits and Jettas from that timeframe and had good luck with them.

Aaron Z

Don't remember all the details (it was 30 years ago), but it just seemed that something was always broken on it. Soon as I'd fix it something else would break. Since it was considerate enough to only have one thing broken at a time, when something minor would break I'd leave it....figured it might keep a major repair at bay.

 

[Oaktree]

One thing that gets my goat is when car companies think that men will not buy small cars so that fact precludes designing a car that engenders simply great design. They screwed it up with the Neon and now they are screwing up with the Fiat 500. What I think is a good design for a small car is like the Chevy Sonic or the Cooper.

What keeps me from buying a small car is that they tend to be cramped & claustrophobic inside. I'm "only" 6'/220 lb, but not many small cars have enough front legroom in them (or they sacrifice front legroom for rear...the Japanese are notorious for that). Between that and the huge consoles they're putting in doesn't leave much room.

I've seen guys bigger than me driving small cars & it doesn't seem to bother them but it does me. I've never driven a Sonic or Mini-Cooper, so I can't comment on them.

We don't really "need" the room, but I hate driving/riding in a sardine can.

 

[IslandTractor]

What keeps me from buying a small car is that they tend to be cramped & claustrophobic inside. I'm "only" 6'/220 lb, but not many small cars have enough front legroom in them (or they sacrifice front legroom for rear...the Japanese are notorious for that). Between that and the huge consoles they're putting in doesn't leave much room.

I've seen guys bigger than me driving small cars & it doesn't seem to bother them but it does me. I've never driven a Sonic or Mini-Cooper, so I can't comment on them.

We don't really "need" the room, but I hate driving/riding in a sardine can.

I'm taller than you are and have found that most of the smaller cars these days actually have pretty decent legroom up front. Even something as small as the Honda Fit was comfortable for me at 6'5". Shoulder room is a different issue, I haven't had trouble in rental cars like the new Ford Focus though. My biggest complaint about the small cars is the lower seat height than I am used to with SUV/CUV.