While You Were Sleeping: April 21st, 2015

Timothy Cain has the six-passenger Hyundai Santa Fe XL in Limited trim. So Hyundai is building a three row Santa Fe with only two seats in the middle row? 'Cause I highly doubt that they are selling a two row model with a front bench seat.

I have been observing so-called "luxury" cars for some years now, and I really don't see any reason to buy one over a cheaper cousin, i.e. Buick instead of Cadillac, or Ford over Lincoln. However, the last time a Cadillac did impress me was a 1977 De Ville a friend owned. A very nicely-appointed car and a superb ride! Trouble was, the back door glass still only rolled down halfway, but I digress... I would give "Dead Weight" some credit for his criticism but not his tirades of the current state of Cadillac. I do agree with most of what he says. Unless the platform is unique to a particular make & model and is not shared with any lesser brand, and if the materials are premium - real wood and metal over plastic for switchgear and knobs, etc., real chromed metal trim, or at least polished stainless or aluminum over plastic chrome, real metal badging & emblems, better quality fabrics and unique drivetrains, there is absolutely no reason to purchase a Cadillac or Lincoln over their "lesser" counterparts. I guess I'll have to throw in a few other things here. Would body-on-frame construction make any difference? I do believe RWD and V8 power would raise the bar considerably. All cars have a multitude of electronic goodies and features previously reserved for luxury or higher-end models, so the definition of "luxury" has to mean something else. Craft, workmanship and material quality have to figure in, as well as drivability and handling, of course. Of course, I am not limiting this to Cadillac and Lincoln, but ALL "aspirational" brands which include Lexus, BMW, Audi and Mercedes. For my money and my personal reality, I see no need nor have any desire to own any such luxury vehicle, but that's me and I do not disparage anyone else for wanting something better than an Impala, Fusion, Malibu, Avalon, Camry, Accord, 200 or 300. For the record, my 2012 Impala LTZ is far above anything else I have ever owned, and for me is the right car for my present highway-running, 2-hour daily round trip commute. Compared to my last Impala and almost every other car I have ever owned, it IS a luxury car! I guess I aim low... but I'm not disappointed. FWIW, that's my unsolicited opinion!

I like the "what we're driving this week" feature!

As one who has designed and built several cars using computer and paper (Probe IV and EcoSport, with unfinished designs for the new Escort and the Ford Nucleon); the idea of designing your cars in plastic is interesting. Some of the Hot Wheels offerings over the years were also made out of plastic (such as the color changing series); so that is not entirely a downside. https://www.flickr.com/photos/75105572@N08/14930208923/ Main questions for me are whether the geometry I created in my existing program will transfer (since both are owned by Autodesk, I would think so); and how much for the privilege of having one made. I will have to check into this.