Posted on February 22, 2013 by Ryan Glass
Parents have a habit of saying that their kids grow up way too fast. That it’s only a matter of a short time before the little ones blossom from infancy to downright looming over their folks in size and strength. Not to quote a famous lion, but it’s all part of the circle of life. And it’s a harsh reality that the Nissan Maxima must face. Originally introduced in 1981, the Maxima has historically been the grand daddy of the Nissan family- being the largest, most well-appointed, and priciest of all the sedans from the manufacturer. But times have changed, and the Maxima is now eclipsed by its own children.
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Filed under: Nissan | Tagged: aviation, cars, generation maxima, nissan maxima, toyota cressida, transportation | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 15, 2013 by Ryan Glass
Charles Dicken’s “Tale of Two Cities” depicts life in London and Paris during the years leading up to the French Revolution. Despite the two city’s obvious cultural and social differences, both had unflattering parallels and similarities during the time period. It could be likened to the clashes and battles between Lexus and Infiniti. Although rivals, both have taken similar paths through history that resulted in completely different outcomes for both. The two brands are divisions of large Japanese parent companies (Toyota and Nissan respectively) and were introduced to the market the same year, in 1990, Both debuted showcasing large, rear-wheel drive sedans to compete head-to-head with the German luxury brand names. In the years following, compact front-wheel drive spinoffs were added to the lineups, the Camry derived ES250 for Lexus and the Nissan Sunny based G20, to appeal to younger professionals. Whereas Lexus found success in the 1990’s with most of its models, Infiniti struggled and soon faced extinction. As a last-ditched effort, Infiniti promised to keep its sights on BMW and released the G35 in 2003- forever changing the brand’s character and propelling it on a different course than archrival Lexus.
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Filed under: Infiniti | Tagged: aviation, cars, charles dickens, german car makers, infiniti g37, transportation | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 8, 2013 by Ryan Glass
Cadillac’s history is a checkerboard of triumphs, innovative achievements, downfalls, and the occasional identity crisis. One of the oldest automakers in the world, founded in 1902, Cadillac embodies American prosperity and has been interwoven in our culture and music; from Bruce Springsteen’s “Pink Cadillac” to “Cadillac Pimpin'” by Young Bloodz. The brand has been a trailblazer over the years, introducing the electric starter in 1912, memory seats in the 50’s, and automatic climate control during the Kennedy era. Probably the most well-known Cadillac feature were the outlandish tailfins that defined post-war America. But Cadillac lost its way during the second half of the century and in its lowest times was shamelessly selling rebadged Chevy Cavaliers and Opel Omegas, as well as catering to buyers who were in their twilight years with front-wheel drive floaty behemoths. Meanwhile, pesky competitors from Germany and Japan were eating Cadillac’s lunch. Something had to change otherwise the brand faced impending doom.
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Filed under: Cadillac | Tagged: aviation, bmw 5 series, Cadillac ATS, cars, mercedes c class, transportation | Leave a comment »
Posted on January 31, 2013 by Ryan Glass
In the Summer of 2000, my parents and I were actively looking for a cheap set of reliable (used) wheels for my upcoming college years. Like many in that same situation over the years,our quest sent us on a pilgrimage to the local Hyundai dealer. While checking out an Elantra, my mother’s attention was diverted by a shiny vehicle across the showroom floor and she exclaimed “what’s that!?” “That” was the all-new for 2001 Santa Fe, Hyundai’s first attempt at an SUV. Previously known for selling cheap, cheery economy cars, the Santa Fe represented a new chapter for the manufacturer. The automaker wanted to be taken seriously and couldn’t do so without a truck in its stable. But Hyundai isn’t one to shy away from risks, and looked to outer space for inspiration for the first Santa Fe. Instead of the traditional outdoorsy look, that Santa Fe had love-it–or hate-it bulging fenders, a gaping grill, and a spaceship like interior. It begged for attention and the gamble paid off. My mother eagerly bought one, which she still owns to this day. And she wasn’t alone, Hyundai couldn’t keep up with demand and it quickly became their best-selling vehicle in the early 2000’s. The stage was set for Hyundai in the 21st Century.
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Filed under: Hyundai | Tagged: aviation, cars, hyundai dealer, hyundai suv, santa fe hyundai, transportation | Leave a comment »
Posted on January 23, 2013 by Ryan Glass
Until recent years, the economy car segment in the United States had been nothing more than teases and disappointments. We could only watch from afar as Europe, Asia, and the rest of the world would attain interesting and intriguing small city cars that were enjoyable to drive and fuel-efficient. While everyone else was having fun, we had to make do with bland, boring cheap-and-nasty subcompacts that were intended to be throwaway cars for college students. Sudden spikes in fuel prices changed perceptions on small cars and suddenly they became en vogue. One such tease from years ago was the Mazda2. Sold overseas since 1998, the first two generations were decent little boxy cars that boasted lots of room but were a tad humdrum. But the 2’s redesign for 2007 changed the car’s personality. That version became lighter and more emotional than its predecessors and was recognized as “International Car of the Year 2007” by a jury of 22 auto journalists from 11 countries. Yet the 2 still wasn’t sold in the U.S. That was until 2010, when Mazda made the sudden announcement it will sell the 2 in North America. Woo-hoo, let the party begin!
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Filed under: Mazda | Tagged: aviation, city cars, en vogue, mazda2, transportation | Leave a comment »
Posted on January 15, 2013 by Ryan Glass
In the movie “Pleasantville”, two modern day teenagers are sent back in time to the perfect 1950’s middle-America community . There were no pregnancies, no divorce, no plastics and no fab diets. The milkman made his delivery every morning, and the most unthinkable saga was a cat stuck in a tree. And everyone had an American made car in the driveway, including the Buick Roadmaster that belonged to the primary household. Those were Buick’s brightest days- the age of bench seats and floaty suspensions. Fast forward to more recent times and in the late 90’s and early 2000’s Buick was nothing more than an afterthought. A rebadged Chevy with added chrome and large, easy to read radio buttons that you’d only find in the senior center parking lot. Buick’s sales numbers spiralled downhill as its targeted clientele aged. Things looked bleak, but then a funny thing happened…..
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Filed under: Buick | Tagged: aviation, bench seats, buick lacrosse, buick roadmaster, cars, mass slaughter, transportation | 1 Comment »
Posted on August 31, 2012 by Ryan Glass
If there were a car that captured the essence of Coney Island, it would be the Chrysler 200. Both the modest convertible and world-famous amusement park offer the promise of some beachside fun in the sun, cheap thrills, and are unashamedly American. Sure, they’re old-fashioned and traditional in some ways, but as our friends in Brooklyn would say: faaahhhhggeeetttaboutit! What matters most is that they offer lots of smiles and bang for the buck. The main difference between the two is that the Chrysler doesn’t have an annual hot dog eating contest, although it could be an excellent marketing strategy…..on second thought, maybe not.
If the name “Chrysler 200” doesn’t ring a bell, don’t feel bad because you’re not alone. You may know it better as the Chrysler Sebring. Introduced in 1995, the Sebring replaced the immensely popular LeBaron and Chrysler continued to hold onto the niche mid-size convertible market with solid sales for over a decade. However, a disastrous redesign in 2007 made the Sebring ungainly and undesirable. Buyers stayed away in droves and the car’s popularity took a nose dive. By 2009 sales were a third of what they were only three years prior. With the Fiat merger and government mandated restructuring in 2009, a hasty restyle of the Sebring was pushed out to market in an attempt to regain sales and the name was changed simply to “200”. The new moniker was to distance the car from the blundered outgoing model and to ride the coattails of Chrysler’s successful flagship; the 300. The move has seemed to have paid off and sales are near to what they were in the Sebring’s glory days.
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Filed under: Chrysler | Tagged: cars, chrysler 200, chrysler sebring, excellent marketing, hot dog eating contest, tight time frame, transportation | Leave a comment »
Posted on July 9, 2012 by Ryan Glass
Japan can be a bizarre place. So much so that I often refer to it as “Planet Japan.” If it’s cute, quirky, or just plain weird, odds are that it’ll receive a cult following among the Japanese. This is a country that has given the world Pokemon, karaoke, Godzilla, diet water, Hello Kitty, and anime. Another unique oddity that is prevalent in the Land of the Rising Sun is the box vehicle. Short in length, tall in stature, and square as a…er…box, these cars take advantage of offering maximized interior space while leaving as small of a footprint as possible on Japan’s crowded and narrow streets. However, will a nation with plenty of open land, such as the US, accept a vehicle that was the answer to nobody’s question?
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Filed under: Nissan | Tagged: bizarre place, cars, land of the rising sun, nissan cube, scion xb, transportation, world debut | Leave a comment »
Posted on April 29, 2012 by Ryan Glass
Geography geeks out there will know that Acadia, which clings to Maine’s Atlantic coastline, is the easternmost national park in the United States. And not only that, the 1532 ft. tall summit of Mt. Cadillac, located within the park, is the first spot that sees the sun rise every morning in the country. Fascinating facts, right? Similarly, some car geeks out there will know that the GMC Acadia represented a new direction for GM’s truck brand when it was introduced in 2006. Think of it as a new dawn as well.
The GMC marque was created in 1912 and since then has exclusively sold trucks. Give GM credit for staying true to the same, proven formula for the past century and although most of GMC’s offerings have been nothing more than rebadged Chevrolets, they have resisted selling passenger cars. Even during tough economic times along with periods of spiked fuel prices, walk into a GMC dealer and you‘d only see pickup trucks, vans, and SUV‘s. The last decade has brought much change to the brand- firstly being consolidated into the same dealer network as Pontiac and Buick, then being only one of four brands to survive GM’s restructuring, and then selling a vehicle such as the Acadia.
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Filed under: GMC | Tagged: atlantic coastline, cars, gmc acadia, gmc dealer, pontiac montana, transportation | Leave a comment »
Posted on April 14, 2012 by Ryan Glass
When the original European-designed Focus was introduced for the 2000 model year in hatch, sedan, and wagon guises, it became a game changer within the compact car segment almost overnight. At the time, the small car market was full of bland, soulless appliances that had no passion, no excitement. The Focus was revolutionary, proving that an affordable small car does not have to feel cheap. It did everything well- offering plentiful room for five full-size adults, superb driving dynamics, and looked good- boldly expressing Ford’s then-current “New Edge” styling theme. It was such a good all-around package that it was hard to imagine that the car was developed on a tight budget. Critics raved and the Focus received numerous awards, including European Car of the Year and scoring a place in Car And Driver’s coveted “Ten-Best List” three years in a row.
The Ford Focus always brings back fond memories. Coincidently, that Focus debuted in the
midst of my senior year of high school. It became the “must have” car during the twilight years of being a teenager. If the Focus were a person- it would’ve been the captain of the school football team; handsome, athletic, taut, envied, and extremely popular. It was a car that could do little wrong and had its whole life ahead of it.
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Filed under: Ford | Tagged: american tastes, car segment, cars, ford focus, high school reunion, school football team, transportation | Leave a comment »
Parents have a habit of saying that their kids grow up way too fast. That it’s only a matter of a short time before the little ones blossom from infancy to downright looming over their folks in size and strength. Not to quote a famous lion, but it’s all part of the circle of life. And it’s a harsh reality that the Nissan Maxima must face. Originally introduced in 1981, the Maxima has historically been the grand daddy of the Nissan family- being the largest, most well-appointed, and priciest of all the sedans from the manufacturer. But times have changed, and the Maxima is now eclipsed by its own children.
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