Paul Maurer 2
Well-Known Member
I was disappointed to discover that the ST made the Times "worst of" auto lists, but what do you expect from a bunch of left wing latte lappers.....even if it is my favorite newspaper. I agree with him on the M6, though.:angry:
Coming Up Short
All was not rosy in the showroom in 2006. A few cars and trucks missed the mark, including, in my view, the following:
1. JEEP COMPASS ($22,855) The powertrain is unrefined, the styling is other-worldly and the very concept of this not-trail-rated Jeep runs counter to the rugged qualities that the Chrysler division has long claimed as its own. The Compass seems like a sellout — and not in terms of its sales numbers.
2. DODGE CALIBER ($23,935) Here’s a Compass wearing different, more agreeable clothes. The wagon body is practical and, compared with the Jeep’s weird styling, fairly appealing. The available features include lighted cupholders and party-friendly flip-down speakers in the hatch. But the engine and transmission in my test car felt just as crude as the Compass’ and the interior materials screamed “Cheap!†Dodge might benefit from spending some time looking over the Kia Sportage or Hyundai Tucson, which are both much more appealing.
3. FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC ($33,330) While I find the latest version of the Explorer S.U.V. fairly agreeable, the pickup version seems crude and plasticky in comparison. Before Ford tries to do another new-wave truck, somebody in Dearborn should spend some time with the Honda Ridgeline, an oddball pickup that really works.
4. CADILLAC STS-V ($77,090) If I had to pick just one Detroit-brand vehicle on which to spend my own money, chances are I’d choose the rip-roaring Cadillac CTS-V, a worthy competitor to some very good German sport sedans. In comparison, the jazzed-up version of the CTS’s big brother, the STS, seems unexceptional. Yes, the supercharged Northstar V-8 is blazingly fast. Yes, the car’s cosmetic makeover (big wheels, mesh grille) looks cool. And, yes, the interior has been upgraded. But the STS-V’s handling can’t begin to match the Germans, and the window sticker raises expectations that the car fails to meet.
5. BMW M6 ($106,690) Not many years ago, I’d have been hard pressed to name a BMW that didn’t thrill me. Now, too often, they just irritate me — with silly chimes, inscrutable controls, quirky turn signals, intrusive “active†steering. To that, the M6 adds a sequential manual gearbox that makes most any driver feel like a fool. I’ll concede that the M6 is a robot-perfect performance machine capable of feats that seem to defy the laws of physics. Yet it may also be the most soulless BMW yet.
Coming Up Short
All was not rosy in the showroom in 2006. A few cars and trucks missed the mark, including, in my view, the following:
1. JEEP COMPASS ($22,855) The powertrain is unrefined, the styling is other-worldly and the very concept of this not-trail-rated Jeep runs counter to the rugged qualities that the Chrysler division has long claimed as its own. The Compass seems like a sellout — and not in terms of its sales numbers.
2. DODGE CALIBER ($23,935) Here’s a Compass wearing different, more agreeable clothes. The wagon body is practical and, compared with the Jeep’s weird styling, fairly appealing. The available features include lighted cupholders and party-friendly flip-down speakers in the hatch. But the engine and transmission in my test car felt just as crude as the Compass’ and the interior materials screamed “Cheap!†Dodge might benefit from spending some time looking over the Kia Sportage or Hyundai Tucson, which are both much more appealing.
3. FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC ($33,330) While I find the latest version of the Explorer S.U.V. fairly agreeable, the pickup version seems crude and plasticky in comparison. Before Ford tries to do another new-wave truck, somebody in Dearborn should spend some time with the Honda Ridgeline, an oddball pickup that really works.
4. CADILLAC STS-V ($77,090) If I had to pick just one Detroit-brand vehicle on which to spend my own money, chances are I’d choose the rip-roaring Cadillac CTS-V, a worthy competitor to some very good German sport sedans. In comparison, the jazzed-up version of the CTS’s big brother, the STS, seems unexceptional. Yes, the supercharged Northstar V-8 is blazingly fast. Yes, the car’s cosmetic makeover (big wheels, mesh grille) looks cool. And, yes, the interior has been upgraded. But the STS-V’s handling can’t begin to match the Germans, and the window sticker raises expectations that the car fails to meet.
5. BMW M6 ($106,690) Not many years ago, I’d have been hard pressed to name a BMW that didn’t thrill me. Now, too often, they just irritate me — with silly chimes, inscrutable controls, quirky turn signals, intrusive “active†steering. To that, the M6 adds a sequential manual gearbox that makes most any driver feel like a fool. I’ll concede that the M6 is a robot-perfect performance machine capable of feats that seem to defy the laws of physics. Yet it may also be the most soulless BMW yet.
