58 replies to this topic

[gohornedfrogs]

pcf, on 03 March 2012 - 05:59 PM, said:

I don't think that's true. How does the Volt not work for the way people live or drive?

The big problem is that the Volt is still too expensive because of scale and it turned into a political football where people refuse to judge it on its merits.

Good lord. I don't know how someone could be so oblivious to how the marketplace works.

People don't want an over-priced, grossly underpowered car that may not even deliver on the modest fuel efficiency it promises.

[fnfreebird]

gohornedfrogs, on 03 March 2012 - 06:47 PM, said:

Good lord. I don't know how someone could be so oblivious to how the marketplace works.

People don't want an over-priced, grossly underpowered car that may not even deliver on the modest fuel efficiency it promises.

Ask PCF if he has so much as driven or ever tired to sit in the back seat of a VOLT.  NO!
Yet he somehow insists he is the virtual expert while insisting that others who have don't know how to or don't understand them???
Perfectly typical.

[pcf]

gohornedfrogs, on 03 March 2012 - 06:47 PM, said:

Good lord. I don't know how someone could be so oblivious to how the marketplace works.

People don't want an over-priced, grossly underpowered car that may not even deliver on the modest fuel efficiency it promises.

If we can sell Hummers, we can sell Volts.

[pcf]

fnfreebird, on 03 March 2012 - 07:27 PM, said:

Ask PCF if he has so much as driven or ever tired to sit in the back seat of a VOLT.  NO!
Yet he somehow insists he is the virtual expert while insisting that others who have don't know how to or don't understand them???
Perfectly typical.

I've never claimed any expertise on the Volt. All I know for sure is that the US marketplace is basically a wasteland of bloated gas guzzlers and overpowered 4 wheel ego trips. It sucks for a wide variety of practical transportation.

The Renault Modus diesel was an outstanding car in terms of economy and comfort.

[fnfreebird]

pcf, on 03 March 2012 - 11:32 PM, said:

I've never claimed any expertise on the Volt. All I know for sure is that the US marketplace is basically a wasteland of bloated gas guzzlers and overpowered 4 wheel ego trips. It sucks for a wide variety of practical transportation.

The Renault Modus diesel was an outstanding car in terms of economy and comfort.

Agreed.

You think we ought to be able to do a heck of a lot better.
The entire way cars are manufactured, regulated, sold and marketed in this country is a contrived joke.

It's all simply a design to shake the last penny out of our pockets.

No one can convince me that they can't build a car that can last 20-25 years, get 50-60 mpg and offer a nice safe comfortable ride at a cheaper price than we pay today. They just don't want to.

[pcf]

fnfreebird, on 03 March 2012 - 11:41 PM, said:

Agreed.

You think we ought to be able to do a heck of a lot better.
The entire way cars are manufactured, regulated, sold and marketed in this country is a contrived joke.

It's all simply a design to shake the last penny out of our pockets.

No one can convince me that they can't build a car that can last 20-25 years, get 50-60 mpg and offer a nice safe comfortable ride at a cheaper price than we pay today. They just don't want to.

I really don't get it. Some of these dinky cars should get a lot better mileage than they do. Even if we can't have it all in one vehicle, they should at least excel at one thing.

[gohornedfrogs]

pcf, on 03 March 2012 - 11:27 PM, said:

If we can sell Hummers, we can sell Volts.

Exhibit A in why you don't understand reality. People wanted Hummers, though for the life of me I couldn't understand why. There is no such demand for the Volt.

I don't understand the appeal of the Kardashians, or Snooki,  but I don't think for a minute that Amy Grant is going to replace them, even if the world would be a better place for it.

[oldscribe]

gohornedfrogs, on 03 March 2012 - 06:47 PM, said:

Good lord. I don't know how someone could be so oblivious to how the marketplace works.

People don't want an over-priced, grossly underpowered car that may not even deliver on the modest fuel efficiency it promises.

You just described a Corvair I used to own.....

[gohornedfrogs]

oldscribe, on 04 March 2012 - 02:59 PM, said:

You just described a Corvair I used to own.....

[NewfoundlandFrog]

oldscribe, on 04 March 2012 - 02:59 PM, said:

You just described a Corvair I used to own.....

My uncle had one. It ran at least every other day for the time he owned it. Truly terrible car.

[Tucson Frog]

NewfoundlandFrog, on 04 March 2012 - 03:17 PM, said:

My uncle had one. It ran at least every other day for the time he owned it. Truly terrible car.

I had a 1964 Corvair that was a great little car except for the time I had a blowout on the rear while doing 65 0n the turnpike.

[pcf]

Ed Wallace on the Volt:

http://www.star-tele...evy-revolt.html

[fnfreebird]

Great idea...and still... they don't even work as marketed.

[pcf]

gohornedfrogs, on 04 March 2012 - 01:47 PM, said:

Exhibit A in why you don't understand reality. People wanted Hummers, though for the life of me I couldn't understand why. There is no such demand for the Volt.

I don't understand the appeal of the Kardashians, or Snooki,  but I don't think for a minute that Amy Grant is going to replace them, even if the world would be a better place for it.

People do want them. People want electric and hybrid cars.

It is a matter of price and eventually the price will meet the market demand.

Your argument here is like some guy in 1898 saying no one wants the automobile.

[oldscribe]

Some of you thought the title of this thread was a joke, but actually GE engineers have designed a giant shoehorn combined with a cattle prod with which to force folks into a Volt.  It's the next great advance in automobile savvy and the U.S. pioneered it!

[pcf]

oldscribe, on 05 March 2012 - 05:14 PM, said:

Some of you thought the title of this thread was a joke, but actually GE engineers have designed a giant shoehorn combined with a cattle prod with which to force folks into a Volt.  It's the next great advance in automobile savvy and the U.S. pioneered it!

I really would like one, but then I liked the Aztek. Of course, they made great sport of the Aztek, but it was a trailblazer and it has a lot of popular descendants today.

We've had ours almost 11 years now and it has been a pretty good car. Surprisingly economical for 2001.

[gohornedfrogs]

pcf, on 04 March 2012 - 07:38 PM, said:

Ed Wallace on the Volt:

http://www.star-tele...evy-revolt.html

Does Ed Wallace post on this forum? :)

[pcf]

gohornedfrogs, on 06 March 2012 - 04:29 AM, said:

Does Ed Wallace post on this forum? :)

I'll get him to post on here. He's pretty evenhanded.

[weklfrog]

Tucson Frog, on 04 March 2012 - 03:25 PM, said:

I had a 1964 Corvair that was a great little car except for the time I had a blowout on the rear while doing 65 0n the turnpike.

I bought a 65 4-dr Corvair in 75.  It was literally driven to church every Sunday by a little old lady and not too many other places.  The 10-yr old car had around 30,000 miles on it and I paid $200.  Not a bad car for Milwaukee.  Great traction in the winter because it was rear-wheel drive and rear engine.  Hit a tree once when purposely trying to skid in the snow thru an intersection and bent the hood.  Sold it for $100 a year later before coming down to TCU for grad school.