No doubt. Having no engine/trans vibration = serenity chamber at lower speeds

Sedan, couples, SUVS/CUVs, and light duty trucks are subject to the same NHSTA and IIHS testing. They have also been under same harmonized CAFE fuel economy regs since 2012.

Unless what definition of what a car should do is as boring as “get me from point A to point B”, I’d argue the difference between luxury and non-luxury cars is way more obvious than luxury vs non-luxury fashion items.

Bingo. It’s the richness of the interior materials, the way the car absorbs road imperfections while maintaining good handling characteristics, the smoothness of the engine/transmission, and always having more power available than you need.

Rides as luxuriously as a Rolls?

Have you ever sat in the current S-Class? Interior material quality (wood, leather, plastics, switchgear, etc.) is as far from an Accent as the Four Seasons is from a Motel 6. And the 3's interior is definitely more Accent than S-Class.

Agreed. Teslas drive great (though ride quality can be flinty), but interiors are not up to level of the Germans or Lexus. Model 3 in particular is no nicer than a typical GM vehicle.

IMHO the build quality and engineering are bigger differentiatiors now than ever before. Tech has been democratized. Much of the tech offered in an S-Class that isn’t available on, say, a loaded Hyundai Sonata is incremental stuff (nicer sound system, etc.). The real difference nowadays is ride/handling refinement,…

That’s my concern. Seen several Tesla dealers whose lots are overflowing with inventory. This isn’t a problem unique to Telsa right now, but I do wonder how much they can grow once 1.) the novelty wears off, and 2.) the many EVs being readied by other luxury brands hit the market.

This. Most people on Jalopnik have zero understanding of business / economics, so they think every decision that doesn’t jive with our enthusiast sensibilities (or every decision made by domestic automakers, for that matter) is entirely due to greedy capitalist 1%ers trying to ruin everything in the name of enriching…

Different financial situations at play. Luxury car brands can obtain significantly higher per-vehicle margins than mainstream brands because people are willing to pay big premiums for increases in capability and a cool badge. The sticker price premiums for luxury vs non-luxury vehicles are, relatively speaking, higher…

Not seeing the ur-Quattro link, other than the C-pillar. Big fat SUV vs small nimble sports coupe? Not a flattering comparison.

1.) You can’t roll coal in an F-150, at least not until the turbodiesel hits the market

No worries - I didn’t take anything you said personally, and I didn’t intend anything I wrote as a personal attack either - I apologize if it came across that way. And I don’t doubt a single thing you say, or how frustrated it must make you feel.

Reading comprehension, pal. I was responding a post claiming racism was a “red state” problem, not writing a comprehensive history of American racism.

Lived in a major city where 85-90% of people (including almost all my coworkers) voted Democrat, definitely heard some off-color remarks regarding race, nationality, etc. And that was on top of the far-more-common shit directed at southerners, Christians, low-income people, blue-collar workers, and anyone not…

1st Gear: maybe I’ve missed something, but does Ford actually have a coherent strategy for how to differentiate itself in the market?

Actually I have, and I’m thankful I live in one of the few countries where one’s belonging isn’t almost completely wrapped up in an ethnic identity. And I’m not just talking about the developing world either (Richard Spencer and his crew have nothing on the fascist parties in most of Europe, and note the assimilation…

Would be interesting to learn how GM has communicated to employees at the plant about this. This crap absolutely needs to be stopped, but aside from punishing those who are caught and repeatedly emphasizing that this behavior won’t be tolerated, there’s not a ton I’d imagine they can do. Affirmative action or giving ev…

You ever spent time in a place overseas where you weren’t in the ethnic majority? For all our problems, we are about the most accommodating place on earth.