I would love to see that announcement at the Detroit Auto Show. Security may have to be brought in to hustle away the Toyota VP just in case tweeting isn’t cathartic enough for the mob of auto journalists.

1st Gear. Sienna will live on because... the minivan is still a strong segment. As popular as SUVs are, only an Expedition sized SUV come close to hauling 8 passengers in comfort. Off the top of my head, about 3 of 5 families (including me) have chosen the minivan over a 3-row SUV. Driving to school functions, we see…

Yep, and 5 kids to do the grunt work. Sure it takes them a little longer, but it’s still cheaper.

This is why engineers should only work for big companies while they’re young, and as they mature, they need to get their MBA and get into management (if want to continue with a big company), or start their own business on the side like opening franchise, becoming an electrician, joining a startup, etc.

As the hiring strategist for my company, I can share with you the business analysis we are always running and why companies like GM lay off the “most experienced and skilled workers” to save a buck. Quite simply, the intangible costs of an inexperienced engineer is worth 25% in savings when talking about a large…

I’ll address the autonomy issue:

1st, 2nd and Neutral: GM’s Bankruptcy Was the Right Move. Unlike Ford which did not eliminate its pension burden via bankruptcy, GM completely eliminated the biggest drag on its finances during bankruptcy. Ford would be in a much better financial position had it filed BK as well, but it did not so now it’s paying for…

tou·ché!

Neutral: Mazda is missing the reputation for durability and dependability that is the core requirement of the “economy car market”. For most categories, there are options from Toyota or Honda that I’d choose before a Mazda. Let’s say $26,000 CUV? I’d look at the RAV4 or CRV before CX5. Sporty economy sedan? Accord.…

1st Gear GM Buybacks: brilliant move by GM. This will save them a bundle in the long term. Nice to see that they did learn something from their bankruptcy - the number one cost in manufacturing is employee compensation.

That Taycan arriving in a year looks pretty sweet too.

Including the Taycan! Now that I’m getting older, my lust for the 911 is being replaced by the Taycan.

Also, Jalops conveniently forget that we do get the AMG 63S Wagon - a legitimate sports wagon made to compete with the RS6 and M5.

Make it a hand-crank driven mechanism and all is good.

More than the name even, is the overall driver experience from the inside (materials, ergonomics, aesthetics, etc.). If you’ve ever sat inside a current generation Volvo, you know what I’m talking about. Simply amazing, and probably the number one reason people are buying Volvos. The Bolt’s interior is relatively…

The Kia Niro/Kona appears to be pretty solid EV tech, definitely good enough for mainstream consumers. I’d rank them right up there with the Bolt in terms of EV capabilities. Because of the interior, I’d choose the Kia over Chevy products any day.

How do the rear seats compare? I hear the Bolt’s rear seat are pretty abysmal.

There’s no reason to pay $40,000 for a stripped down BMW 320i when a cheaper Camry or Accord will do the job BETTER, without the badge. For most people, the selection of affordable car inventory from non premium makers (cars costing under $25,000) is pretty rich. Prius or Civic, lots of great affordable cars. Oh no…

1st Gear Layoff Announcement Strategy: for the employer, it’s rarely good to give employees a heads up that they are about to be let go in the near future for three important reasons: (1) Employee will basically game the system by going on protected disability so you legally can’t fire them until they return, (2)…

It’s always the same conundrum - timing. For years since 2002 economists were saying that we were in a real estate bubble, and in 2005 many announced “a new normal” where real estate will go up forever, and of course we had the worldwide economic collapse of 2007 driven by the real estate bubble. Hindsight is 20/20.…