Berkowitz's Futures Market: Car News That's Not Worth the Fuss

Justin Berkowitz
by Justin Berkowitz

I think it’s great to get excited about new cars, announcements from manufacturers, spec sheets, press kit photos, and concept cars. I’m a jerk, but I’m not a jerk made of stone. With my mea-culpa qualification out of the way though, I do find it frustrating to see what I think of as undue enthusiasm. If you jump, you can see my five TTAC-spirited assessments of the product announcements of the week.

1. Chrysler says they’re thinking about building a car-based pickup truck. Some say it would be more like a Honda Ridgeline, others that it would be akin to the El Camino. I say it’s not going to happen.

2. Everybody (save Edward Neidermeyer) loves the Buick Lacrosse. I think it looks fine, especially the interior. But who genuinely believes this is going to sell well? Other than the trick suspension, consumers are going to see a cleanly-designed but unmemorable car, from Grandpa’s brand, made by a dying company. Check the Lincoln MKS sales to peer into the Lacrosse’s future.

3. Ford Fusion’s 4-cylinder mileage is best in class (23/34). Great. But unless that’s going to be Ford’s total new image – the most fuel efficient cars on the road – it’s not going to get enough new customers into the showroom to matter. That, or $5.00 gas (wait a few years).

4. Cadillac is going to show a Volt-based car at the Detroit Auto Show. I’ve said many time that I don’t think the Volt will ever be built and sold in meaningful numbers. So the odds for this car in real life are even slimmer. As in none.

5. The Nissan GT-R Spec V is cool. Matter of personal preference. You might really love it. Or instead, you might be over 13.



Justin Berkowitz
Justin Berkowitz

Immensely bored law student. I've also got 3 dogs.

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  • Davey49 Davey49 on Jan 10, 2009

    mcs- 2 inches is a lot, plus its 52.5 vs 56 in the rear seat. No one is going to cross shop the Prius with Fusion/Malibu/Accord/Camry/6 by size. They're going to say that they will sacrifice some roominess for the extra fuel mileage. Plus the Prius still looks like a Prius, which might be hard to take for some people.

  • Thoots Thoots on Jan 10, 2009
    SpacemanSpiff : Why don’t Toyonda offer sport suspension packages on the Camry & Accord? Camry does. It's called the "SE." You can get it with a powerful V6 engine, and with highly-bolstered sports seats. Nobody at Car and Driver magazine, which only values performance, will never compare anything but the plainest-Jane stripper Camry to its precious (and always top of the line model) Accord. As for Fusion, the kind of thing that always stops me is "six-way power seat." Nope, you just can't get a full power seat in the thing. Like you can with Accord and Camry. Or the cheap-subcompact "antenna on the roof" job. Nope, you're not gonna get one hidden in the rear window like Accord and Camry. Believe it or not, real buyers pay attention to little details like these. And more than a few people comprehend that it's built on the past-generation Mazda 6 platform. In Mexico. With (get this) "50 percent US-sourced parts." As opposed to the Camry, built in Kentucky (that's in the US), with 75 percent US-sourced parts. Or the Accord, built in Ohio (that's in the US, too), with 70 percent US-sourced parts. Never even minding whether you want to call this thing a "US" car or not, "Cheaper than Accord or Camry?" Gosh, it should be!
  • El scotto Oh, ye nattering nabobs of negativism! Think of countries like restaurants. Our neighbors to the north and south are almost as good and the service is fantastic. They're awfully close to being as good as the US. Oh the Europeans are interesting and quaint but you really only go there a few times a year. Gents, the US is simply the hottest restaurant in town. Have to stand in line to get in? Of course. Can you hand out bribes to get in quicker? Of course. Suppliers and employees? Only the best on a constant basis.Did I mention there is a dress code? We strictly enforce it. Don't like it? Suck it.
  • 1995 SC At least you can still get one. There isn't much for Ford folks to be happy about nowadays, but the existence of the Mustang and the fact that the lessons from back in the 90s when Ford tried to kill it and replace it with the then flavor of the day seem to have been learned (the only lessons they seem to remember) are a win not only for Ford folks but for car people in general. One day my Super Coupe will pop its headgaskets (I know it will...I read it on the Internet). I hope I will still be physically up to dropping the supercharged Terminator Cobra motor into it. in all seriousness, The Mustang is a.win for car guys.
  • Lorenzo Heh. The major powers, military or economic, set up these regulators for the smaller countries - the big guys do what they want, and always have. Are the Chinese that unaware?
  • Lorenzo The original 4-Runner, by its very name, promised something different in the future. What happened?
  • Lorenzo At my age, excitement is dangerous. one thing to note: the older models being displayed are more stylish than their current versions, and the old Subaru Forester looks more utilitarian than the current version. I thought the annual model change was dead.
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