VICIOUS LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL

The Chevy Equinox EV actually seems like the first EV from a traditional car company that’s finally competitive with its non-EV siblings, but alas no Carplay.

And this list also does a good job of illustrating the biggest challenge that EVs face for mass adoption… only one of these vehicles has a price tag that begins with a “3”.

I have a ‘24 Mazda3 with a manual trans! It handles great and fun to drive but all it needs is a little turbo...

Let’s not act like VAG doesn’t have vehicles in the US that use the EA888 2.0T, its just that only one gets a manual across all of the brands using some form of the engine. Safe to say over 50% of VAG US sales include a variant of the EA888.

For the Tacoma, you can get a manual with only three trims (SR, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road) out a whopping 11. Tried building a truck on their site and there is one combo that doesn’t exist: double cab, 6' bed, manual.

Nissan making a car with a 5 speed manual in 2025 is objectively hilarious. 

Nah, I drive a FK8. No need for all that complicated German engineering.

I just bought a 2024 Jetta GLI with manual. This is a fabulous car that you don’t have to sell a kidney to buy. The 2025 is identical, except for some revised bodywork, haptic climate controls and a navigation screen that looks like an iPad resting on your dash. The latter two items are a significant part of why I…

They’re so close to getting it so right...I’d replace my 2015 6MT Mazda3 with one tomorrow if they did.

If the Mazda3 paired the turbo with a stick I would very much care. It would most likely be my next car.

You’re mostly right with your examples.
Difference being, those brands made BETTER versions of existing products, then setup sustainable production & parts supply and head-offices to service the new markets they are selling into. Then they innovate and compete on quality and performance.

For my own use case, I’d go for the range extender one but not the EV-only one. I work from home and have no commute, and I would like something that runs electric-only around town. I also tow my race car long distances and cannot feasibly stop to charge in rural areas with a trailer attached.

EVs will be niche vehicles until charging infrastructure offers the same convenience as the existing fossil fuel infrastructure. Case closed. Plug in hybrids are a necessary transition to an all electric future. Case closed.

The brashness of the Chinese copycats is amazing.

He demanded the cameo to use the hotel for the scene.

CTS Sport Wagon is a good looking wagon. I could see a slight premium for it over a sedan. But this seems to be on the high side. Maybe around $12-14?

Hopefully you get the chance to drive one and report back to us. Some of the initial feedback I’ve seen about the new QX80 is that Infiniti/Nissan did a good job addressing the luxury aspects, but that the ride quality is poor and the engine is merely “adequate”. 

Bold assumption that Americans are willing to adapt in the face of death/danger.

You can't fix stupid and any time you idiot-proof something along comes a bigger idiot