"The Volt" May BE SCRAPPED!- NEVER BUILT!!

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Bicycle Bob

The Cobalt is hardly a hotbed of new technology.

Hey the brand new car cost a little under $13,000 for everything, taxes, registration, even 6 months of car insurance. It was ranked by a group of car insurance testers as a best buy for SAFETY, the Cobalt was one of only three cars to do nearly as good as it did on the worse kind of accident- The "T-Bone" in which the standard/Curtain airbags have proven to save a lot of injury and pain, very likely saves lives too, because the side/Curtain airbags help prevent, and/or greatly reduce damage to the skull, neck and side. Safety 1st, technology #2. Part of the reason I almost bought a larger car was for safety, but it seems the Cobalt holds it own pretty good even when matched up with full size SUVs in a T-bone. (I posted the video in another thread) We have more Cobalts on the road here than I ever noticed until I got mine- but I have yet to even see my first XFE except for mine. The Pontiac G5 is popular here too.

So far I have almost got 46 miles to the gallon, it has already proven itself to have all of the storage space I will ever need. Not to mention I bring my technology with me. My radar detector, GPS, great CB Radio, Cell Phone charger, then I got the stock stereo that plays MP3s and has an IPOD/AUX hookup- I know there are more hi tech things in the world, but for the price I paid and the fact I get this kind of mileage everyday (it's been holding over 45 now for over a week, maybe two weeks)

I have all the high technology I need. The stock stereo rocks and has very little distortion, I always have On-Star if I wish to pay after the first year, and I have XM radio, which I will not pay a dime for. But over all the car has all the technology I can use. Goodness I can push a button on my rear view mirror and get a complete diagnostic report of my car that covers m any things, right down to the current air pressure in my tires sent straight to my email. The dashboard computer calculates the MPG AVG, how many miles let in the trip, 2 tripometers.. and just on and on. If I need any more technology I will just bring my Note-Book computer with me because if I have any more I think it will only distract my eyes from the road. Of course it has many other standard hi tech features which I will not bore people with.

I am very proud of it. The MPG has floored me, because I used to think one had to have a hybrid or a car much smaller than mine to get over 45MPG. I admit I pull ever trick I can to raise my mileage, but I only do such when it is safe to do so. I have all the technology I need in this car that sold for brand new at a price under what many ask for their used cars.

[gone-ot]

...why is it that the driver has to "...pull out all the tricks..." to get good milage, when MOST can be designed INTO the car from the start, for example: the "tweeks" GM did for the XFE models, but ONLY for manual transmissions?

[rgathright]

About a year ago, I had an argument with a GM engineer about EV's. He did not like them and we went rounds on the topic.

Here is our discussion:
Want to read some half-truths from GM?? - GasSavers.org - Helping You Save at the Pump

Sorry for the off forum link, but this is truly a unique look into the mind of GM.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by Jammer

Good Lord how many thousands of $$ in options are you adding to a base Prius anyway?

Err... When did we start talking about adding options to a Prius? I was talking about the options added to the typical (around here) big truck or SUV, that bring the cost into $40K Volt ballpark.

Oh, back up a sec... What is on their trousers? huh? I guess your just too smart for me.

Well, you said it, not me :-) But by the other side of their trousers, I meant - to be blunt - that a lot of people seem to buy cars & trucks as an extension of, or substitute for, their dick.

Ah, I got the message the first time. You need to understand that East Kentucky IS part of the US...

Yes, I know that East Kentucky is part of the US - and presumably West Kentucky is too. The point I was trying to make is that the car buying patterns there are apparently not the same as car buying patterns in say northern Nevada (which are still different from say the SF Bay area), where I see a few Hummers on every drive into town, one of every 20 or so cars seems to be a Prius, but small Detroit-brand cars like the Cobalt are rare.

[Jammer]

OK, at this point I don't think were even arguing hardly, so I'm not going to debate anything on the same subjects, because it's really not worth it. Nothing personal. I am not trying to get the last word in, I just wanted to explain my reasoning, 'kay?

[Christ]

jamesqf -

Isn't the average truck/large SUV already priced at 40K?

Not that I personally care, btw, but I think "penis" would probably be a safer term to use when speaking in public in regards to extensions of the male genitalia. I'm sure someone will get offended by it, either way, though. Carry on.

From the outside wall of the debate, I can see both points that you guys are making. Unfortunately, you're both living in different parts of the country, and thus, will argue the points which hit home for you. It's not a bad thing that you're unaware of what goes on in other parts of the country, as your concerns should be at home, but I don't see a reason to "agree to disagree" on either side, just because your home towns have obvious differences. What is this, the Civil War?

Noone's hometown is better than the other, and it's a universal truth that people live outside their means. Just because someone doesn't have $40K, doesn't mean they won't spend it. On the flip side, there are those of us who could care less about "status" and such, and would rather spend what we can afford, rather than make everyone else think that we can afford things that we obviously cannot.

[Frank Lee]

I'm sure most of your hometowns are better than mine.

[Jammer]

Frank: You slay me sometimes!

Christ: I see your side too, and it opens up a whole new vantage of looking at things. Just a few minutes ago I left my Dentist office and parked next to my Cobalt XFE was a Pontiac G5 (the "brother" of the Cobalt). These cars really are that common here, but I fully understand they are NOT to be seen on the roads in other parts of the country, and I guess our personal perceptions feed debate. Thus the debate here. But I see no need to take it any further, I just do not see where anything could be won, nor any real points be made at this point. (imho)- it has came time for a close.

Note: BTW- When speaking of $40,000 I was speaking in terms of cash OR credit. It's fairly poor region here, and most people are happy to be able to get a down payment on a used car that's over 5 years old, they do this not because they do not want a new car but because they do not have enough money nor credit to swing it (for the most part).

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by rgathright

About a year ago, I had an argument with a GM engineer about EV's. He did not like them and we went rounds on the topic.

Here is our discussion:
Want to read some half-truths from GM?? - GasSavers.org - Helping You Save at the Pump

Sorry for the off forum link, but this is truly a unique look into the mind of GM.

I have personally meet many GMI Students up in Flint Michigan. In fact I was once invited to play my electric banjo at a small Irish bar by a GMI student to where they were all hanging out at in the mid 1990's. I'm sure many of them are nice, good decent people, but sadly for me the ones I meet were very rude to me. However we all were young, and I believe as a mind matures most people become less rude. I did have one cool jam (one song on CD and me on electric "heavy metal banjo") there once though.. hehe

They were a smart lot so I sure did not wish to debate any of them!!

[Christ]

Jammer -

I agree. Sometimes, it's in everyone's best interests to just let a subject alone.

As far as not being able to make a down payment, I'm quite familiar. It's actually why I don't buy things on credit, for the most part. I have a credit card, to which I make the same payment every two weeks, until the balance is paid off. I just only use it when I need to, like when I need a part to keep my car on the road, and I can't come up w/ the cash right away.