over the cliff, onto the rocks.: Proof that the Big Guys are listening to me!

Saturday, January 06, 2007

Proof that the Big Guys are listening to me!

Just in time for the 2007 North American International Auto Show in -- did you have to ask? -- Detroit, Michigan.

Last year, in response to the Slate article subtitled GM's Suicide Pact with the United Auto Workers, I both raved and ranted about the Chevy Malibu. GM appears to have listened.

The 2008 Malibu will have "stability control" and "will compete with the Camry on fuel economy." OK, so maybe they didn't listen to me very much.

Dudes! That's good, but if you truly wanted to make the Malibu tree-hugger-friendly, you'd have equipped it with a biodiesel-ready engine and -- gosh! -- maybe even made it a Prius-like hybrid.

I didn't see a single damn word any-damn-where on improving those seats.

4 comments:

daveto said...: sigh .. buying American [double sigh]

(ceohyfg - coelacanth yield fishy guts! back in the game); Saturday, January 06, 2007 6:04:00 PM
hipparchia said...: ooooh! good one! coelacanths are so ugly they're cute.

i can't remember, but i think one of my gm cars was partly made in canada. hehe, maybe it's the one i have now. the car i rented for this year's road trip was either a kia or a hyundai, i forget which.

i [mostly] consume less than most people [the car is 20-ish years old], so i'm not supporting the economy as much as a patriotic american would be.

my weakness for books ... well ... i have two more shelf sets to assemble, shelf sets that say on the box "made in canada." now you have to love me. except that they're made of wood, so there went some of your trees.

i did want to ask you: what oil company did you buy your gasoline from, back when you were doing all that commuting? ;-)

blcwvj -- black jewish cows of west virginia

vynvcjpy -- very nevada copy joy

[i'm slipping]; Saturday, January 06, 2007 7:36:00 PM
daveto said...: I could lie and say I took the train, but the ugly truth: * (air miles, baby)

pddesuk -- richard peddie sucks (a toronto thing)

oh, and thanks.; Saturday, January 06, 2007 9:38:00 PM
Keifus said...: I'm trying to decide whether auto seats are designed like faucets--whether put extra design effort in the low to make them miserable, in an effort to direct users the costlier products.

In a moderate price range, I see car design as if it should be a "pick two" sort of tradeoff scenario: you can get two of performance, economy, and comfort. I'd gladly sacrifice dumbass options for better seats. Maybe for that, you gotta go through dealers with custom packages instead of hunting the bargains.

K (vnenv: veins and nerves); Monday, January 08, 2007 7:11:00 AM