Friday, December 31, 2010

www.GoodCarBadCar.net Privacy Policy

At www.GoodCarBadCar.net, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us. This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information which is received and collected by www.GoodCarBadCar.net and how it is used.

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Third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology in the advertisements and links that appear on www.GoodCarBadCar.net and send this technology directly to your browser. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.

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You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. www.GoodCarBadCar.net's privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.

If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browsers' respective websites.

We use third-party advertising companies to serve ads and collect information when users visit our site. These companies may use information (not including your name, address, email address or telephone number) about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements on our site, other websites and other forms of media about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, check out http://www.networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp

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GoodCarBadCar.net's Most Popular Posts Of 2010

There are a few hours left, but considering the nature of this post, cold, hard statistics aren't vital for an understanding of popularity within GoodCarBadCar.net. Rather than share with you a simple list of the most trafficked pages within this domain, it might be more interesting to see the most popular posts from different subsections. Without further ado, here are the most actively read posts from GoodCarBadCar.net from the last twelve months.

Most Popular Canadian Sales Stats/Best Sellers Post:
Top 10 Best-Selling Cars In Canada - February 2010 Edition
February's version of Canada's best-selling cars post came after GoodCarBadCar.net began a Sales Stats offensive and then had eleven months to gather traffic stats. 

Most Popular U.S. Auto Sales/Best Sellers Post:
Top 10 Best-Selling Cars In America - March 2010 Edition
March, like February in Canada, was a month in whiuch GoodCarBadCar.net was still building its reputation for being the home for auto sales data breakdowns. Then came three-fourths of the year in which March's version could continue to build traffic. The Toyota Camry had a huge lead in March, by the way.

Most Popular Good 12 Post:
Part XI - Toyota Venza
This is last year's edition, of course. 2011's The Good 12 was only just released. But the 2011 Toyota Venza is repeating.

Most Popular Bad 8 Post:
Part IV - Honda Accord Crosstour
Again, this is from 2010's The Bad 8 v3.0. Unfortunately for the world's biggest engine builder, the 2011 Honda Accord Crosstour is still here.

Most Popular Sales Stats Segment:
Small Cars
Now a combination of the subcompact car segment and the compacts and a handful of niche models, the Small Car category includes stalwarts like the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and Mazda 3. The Small SUV segment is nearly as popular.

Most Popular Driven Review:
Nissan Juke
The 2011 Nissan Juke SV AWD was tested in early November and eventually became a member of 2011's The Good 12 v4.0.

Most Searched Car:
Scion iQ
With official fuel economy numbers from Natural Resources Canada and predicted pricing from The Good Car Guy, no car (outside of Sales Stats) received as much attention from GoodCarBadCar.net's audience than the still-upcoming Scion iQ.

Most Popular Video(s):
13 Toyota Sienna Swagger Wagon Clips
If you haven't seen them already, check'em out. If you have seen them, you need to take another look.
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Smart Fortwo Quality Review - Halfway Through Long-Term Test

Halfway through its time at GCBC Towers, our 2009 smart fortwo pure is struggling to convince us of its long-term viability. The latest quality concern isn't even completely the car's fault, but the fact that the car could be broken so easily is quite surprising. We'll get to that in a moment.

Back in November, the blower stopped blowing. Unable to defrost the windows or warm up the interior, the 2009 smart fortwo spent over six hours in the shop at O'Regan's Mercedes-Benz where a new blower was installed under warranty.

In September, the blinker stalk lost its end cap for no apparent reason. Without being a Mercedes-Benz parts manager, you'd think this is a truly obscure part, would you not? You'd be right, partially. Though the part wasn't in stock, the problem was described by service representatives as one that happens frequently when the smart's plastic bits undergo constant contact. Well, perhaps the signal device should be designed with the possibility of constant use in mind. This was another warranty repair.

Then there were/are problems with the steering wheel. The material started to peel away at the top of the wheel in November. Before we could find an appropriate, clear adhesive to paste the offending leftovers back into the groove, they'd come undone. Fortunately, it takes a keen eye to spot the faint damage.  More serious, and far more annoying, is the steering wheel's newfound creaking and squeaking when slowly turning to the right at low speeds. It's enough to drive you around the bend.

Get it? It squeaks when turning around corners slowly, and it'll "drive you around the bend"? 

Anyway, if yesterday's problem didn't come at such an inopportune time - it was the end of the day and I had to be downtown fast - we'd have asked the dealer to inspect the wheel yesterday. Surely the noise is still being made at higher speeds, but extra wind and engine noise makes it impossible to hear. Turning into parking spots or rolling away from four-way stops, the wheel's noises aren't unlike that of fingernails on chalkboards. 

Now to yesterday's issue. Although unknown to us for the nearly 18 months in which the 2009 smart fortwo has been in our possession, although never creeping up in the previous 58 trips to gas stations, it was discovered yesterday at a Shell station in Halifax, Nova Scotia, that the smart fortwo has a locking gas cap cover. If the car is locked, so is the gas cap cover. There's no visible lock. The cover still has plenty of give in its range of motion. Indeed, the car's manual describes the locking mechanism as one which includes the fuel filler flap, but who reads the section on how to unlock your car? Not The Good Car Guy. 

Anyway, this had to have been the first time I locked the car after getting out; before opening the fuel filler flap. (A subliminal exercise because I was on Robie and North instead of the safe confines at Lacewood and Parkland?) Yep, it was locked. The plastic was cold, but not that cold. It was 0ºC. The fuel filler flap came off in my hand. In my somewhat disturbed state, I dropped it to the ground like it was a poisonous lead-filled piece of black plastic. (It may also have been dropped suddenly because it was covered in salty winter grime.) There were two problems which immediately came to mind. The fuel door wasn't open - I still couldn't get to the gas cap, so I couldn't fill up the car with Shell V-Power. (It was locked, remember, and I didn't know that it even could lock.) Also, the flappy piece of the door was on the ground.

I gave one tug at what remained of the fuel door which, of course, would not budge. I put the fuel filler flap in the car and drove 1 kilometre to the Mercedes-Benz dealer. They diagnosed the problem as a piece of brittle plastic being tugged when locked. They placed a new fuel filler flap off a brand new 2011 smart fortwo, not having the part in stock, where the missing part was.... er, missing, for $35.25 including tax. On my merry way I went.

Here's the good news. The new fuel filler flap looks great, it's cleaner than the original piece had been in months. The service representative was a friendly fellow who shared the news that I wasn't even the first to do this today. A gent checking out a pre-owned Volvo tore the fuel filler flap off earlier that morning and the Volvo dealer had four in stock. 

The bad news? If the fuel filler flap is going to be locked, why does it have an inch of travel even when locked? This isn't just true of the one I demolished with two grams of force; the new one has the sort of built in give you'd expect in the steering of a 1980 Cadillac Eldorado. It's appalling. 

Our smart car has averaged 6.6 L/100km since the end of September. That's 35.6 miles per gallon in America, 42.8 miles per gallon in the United Kingdom. As always, most driving is done in the city but there are some highway spurts in there. One specific fill-up required just 4.9 litres per 100 kilometres. That's still not quite as good as what the Canadian government says you'll get on the highway but it's seven miles per gallon better than what the EPA says smarts will acheive on the highway, a 17% improvement on that figure if my math's right. Overall, with just under 21,000 kilometres on the 2009 smart (over 13,000 miles), we're averaging 6.38 L/100km. That's 36.8 miles per gallon, slightly better than the EPA's 36 mpg average.

The smart fortwo isn't for everyone. As the theory goes, it's perfect for certain someones. But with quality concerns, albeit minor ones, creeping up on a relatively routine basis, the smart fortwo is increasingly looking like it may go from recommended for certain someones to unrecommended for certain everyones.

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Smart Fortwo Blower Not Blowing
Official Scion iQ Fuel Economy Ratings
Blinker Plastic Busted On Long-Term Smart Fortwo
750 Kilometres In 18 Hours To Cape Breton And Back In A Smart Car
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Sunday, December 26, 2010

The Bad 8 v4.0 Part 8 - Nissan Versa Sedan


NISSAN VERSA SEDAN


Now with a longstanding tradition of badness, the Nissan Versa sedan is in its fourth year as a member of The Bad 8. "Hear the engine drone," was the text in 2008. "It's as dull as December 27th local news," 2009's Bad 8 said. And last year? Alternatives were said to include a bicycle built for four.

What more can be said to disparage the Nissan Versa sedan in hopes that Nissan banishes it from showrooms across North America? An assault on the Versa's design starts things off. Indeed, the Versa doesn't actually suffer from bad styling - it has no style to speak of. So utterly forgettable, the Versa sedan is an insult to the rest of the car design world, to people who put effort into making something look as good as the Nissan 370Z. Yep, the 370Z is linked consanguineously to the dreadful Nissan Versa sedan.  

Good news, you might think, is found in the 2011 Nissan Versa sedan's MSRP. At $9900 in the USA, the Versa is priced low but, quite startlingly, has no stereo and no mirrors on the visor. You can take a guess as to what else is missing from the Nissan Versa Sedan 1.6 Base. It has the word "Base" right there in its name. Worse than its lack of features, perhaps even worse than its exceptionally terrible design, is the Versa's wooden ride, its annoyingly ineffective powerplant, and its hateful transmission. Bad has found a home.

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Alternatives: Piaggio MP3 400, Fiat 500, saving up for the Nissan Juke, waiting for the 2012 Hyundai Accent,

Base USD/CAD Price: $9990 / $12,698

Improvements Required: There's no longer truth to the suggestion that small cars can't look good. The 2011 Hyundai Elantra is curvaceously spectacular. The 2012 Ford Focus is clean and cool. The new-to-North America Fiat 500 is classy and chic. If Nissan must sell a sedan version of the Versa - as Ford feels it must with the otherwise handsome Fiesta - they could try and create something that wouldn't be an embarrassment to the brand.

Historical Significance: Apart from the fact that the Nissan Versa sedan has appeared in every version of The Bad 8, this car is insignificant at best.


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The Bad 8 v4.0 Part 7 - Nissan LEAF


NISSAN LEAF


Over the course of more than a hundred years, North American culture has adopted the notion that you can be anywhere on this continent in a matter of hours simply by turning the key. The all-electric Nissan LEAF brings about a flurry of technology and arrives at a time when governments the world over are attempting to kickstart electric transportation. But the LEAF expressly forbids you from travelling anywhere and everywhere. Instead, Nissan LEAFs (Leaves? LEAVEs?) force owners to accept the notion that what you'll see in the next 75 miles (120 km) is... enough. Furthermore, the 2011 Nissan LEAF can't go as far in cold weather and its range will be severely curtailed if you're giving the go-pedal an extra workout.

This should be okay with us, we're told. Our gasoline-powered cars offer limited range of motion, too. But when we stop, we need only stop for a few minutes. Nissan LEAF owners will require somewhere between 7-20 hours unless they shell out for a home charger which, remember, will only work at home. Nissan is trying to tell us that 70% of people drive less than 40 miles per day. What Nissan should tell us, but fails to accurately make clear, is that most drives are shorter than 40 miles. C'mon, don't the vast majority of car owners drive more than 75 miles in between potential charges with some frequency? The Tucson-to-Nogales drug run can't even be completed in a morning drive.

Go ahead and strip the LEAF's lack of drug-running capability from the proceedings. GoodCarBadCar.net's case against the LEAF still includes its lamentable exterior design. The GM EV1 looked sort of awesome, remember? Why shouldn't an unusual car look amazing? The 2011 Nissan LEAF is also tremendously overpriced for such a limited-use vehicle - those rebates won't last forever (but may last until prices of high-tech pieces come down). The LEAF's limitations are all the more frustrating because, in truth, the LEAF isn't slow, boring, or found wanting inside. In fact, the technology represented by the Nissan LEAF is exciting. LEAFs lay out abundant evidence supporting a good future for electrified transportation: full torque from idle, cheap to fuel, less maintenance, amazingly quiet. An electric future is the kind of future GoodCarBadCar.net would be excited about.

Unfortunately, Nissan failed to execute on the electric car's prospective greatness and produced the LEAF as an impressive theory gone awry. Like, where's the progress, dude? The EV1 of the 90s was similarly quick, could be charged in a similar amount of time, and could travel a similar distance. 

LEAF blowers point to its European Car Of The Year victory, but that was a joke. The Nissan LEAF shouldn't be taken too seriously either; at least not yet. LEAF blowers also offer up an array of excuses on behalf of the LEAF's limitations. Good vehicles, however, require no excuses.

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Alternatives: Chevrolet Volt, Nissan Juke, Fiat 500, riding the Appaloosa

Base USD/CAD Price: $32,780 / est. $36,000 (excluding government rebates)

Improvements Required: It's hard to say exactly what type of range improvement would make GoodCarBadCar.net happy. The more miles the merrier. Surely a revised exterior would be of assistance as would a lower price. That said, John Voelcker pointed out that, if you're a Sony employee in California's central valley, the Nissan LEAF could cost as little as $12,280. At that price, the LEAF approaches Good 12-levels of credibility.

Historical Signficance: As the first potentially mass-market electric car on sale in North America since the GM EV1 (Who Killed The Electric Car?), the LEAF is hugely significant. Nissan, however, timed the LEAF to go on sale with the 2011 Chevrolet Volt. This idea was either brilliant or terrible. We may not know the impact of the decision for a decade or more.
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The Bad 8 v4.0 Part 6 - Lincoln MKT


LINCOLN MKT


The Lincoln MKT is one of the planet's only vehicles, if not the only vehicle, with a cold. You know the kind: gradually appearing symptoms, sore throat, mild chest discomfort, plenty of sneezing, a batch of sinus pain, and a terrible runny nose.

Of course, the Lincoln's focus is on the nasal passageway. But first, look at its horrible posture above the rear wheel. MKT has a cold, it's tired, it can't stand up the way vehicles were meant to stand up. Those full-width taillamps are big so you can hear the MKT telling you, "Stay away, you don't want to catch this cold." Dual exhausts are simply more orifices through which germs can flow. 

At any rate, the main problem is that detestable nose. Last year, GoodCarBadCar.net identified the ideal buyer of the 2010 Lincoln MKT as a small-nosed person who's trying to make up for their nasally-challenged status with their choice of vehicle. Yet each extra MKT appearing on North American roads manages to shine a light on the MKT's medical problem. That's not just a snout, it's a snout that only happens to be shaped this way because the MKT's sinuses are clogged. 

We all know what happens when sinuses are clogged.... that's right, the nose starts running and the Lincoln MKT is forced to scamper madly off in all directions looking for a kleenex. No otherwise-decent vehicle should be designed with such an embarrassingly aberrant element.

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Alternatives: Buick Enclave, Ford Flex, golfing in socks and sandals.

Base USD/CAD Price: $44,200 / $51,500

Improvements Required: There are numerous aspects of the MKT that need changing, but a simple nose job could cure many an ill. Take the Ford Flex, as an example. Sharing a platform with the MKT, the Flex has a squared-off front end that masks the vehicle's gargantuan dimensions.

Historical Significance: Lincoln hit the nail on the proverbial head in 1997 with the Navigator, a full-size SUV based on Ford's pickups, just like the Expedition. Who knew luxury car customers would be so interested in gigantic sport-utility vehicles? Not Cadillac, that's for sure. Time has passed, the Lincoln Navigator isn't as popular as it once was. It still sports a cleaner look than the newer big Lincoln and is out-selling the MKT in America, as well.

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The Bad 8 v4.0 Part 5 - Lexus HS250h


LEXUS HS250h


Absurdly popular, the Toyota Corolla is not one of GoodCarBadCar.net's favourite cars. Corollas are vanilla, and not the scrumptuous Cows kind of vanilla many hold dear. There's nothing exciting about the Corolla; nothing attractive or enticing. 

Imagine if the Corolla's price suddenly doubled. All too quickly, the Corolla becomes an overpriced compact. Perhaps a gain in fuel efficiency would make up for some of the cost increase, as would the enjoyment of added features. However, for some reason, with increased costs came - for some reason - liberally spattered ugliness and a painful driving experience where dull styling and emotionless dynamics once resided. 

True, the 2011 Lexus HS250h isn't just a Corolla hybrid with adjusted styling and a higher price. Yet, in Lexus's lineup, the HS250h sits in an equivalent position. Rather than tempting buyers with terrific design or next-generation technology or otherworldly efficiency, Lexus wants to market the HS250h to you on the merit of its second h, the h which stands for hybrid. It's a luxury car, and it's a hybrid, they say. Want ye more? Yes, we do want more, because the HS250h is a very poor luxury car and at just 34 highway miles per gallon, not a very good hybrid.

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Alternatives: Infiniti G25, Lexus IS250, acting like your body possesses at least half an ounce of testosterone and enough brain matter to form financially reasonable conclusions.

Base USD/CAD Price: $34,650 / $39,900

Improvements Required: Act as though the HS250h never happened. If Lexus wants hybrids in the smaller luxury car sector, stick with the CT200h and make available a hybrid version of the rear-wheel drive Lexus IS sports sedan.

Historical Significance: With the HS, Toyota thought they could apply the same fortunes to Lexus as the parent company received from the Prius. Available exclusively as a gas-electric hybrid, the HS250h became the fourth hybrid Lexus brought to market. The 2011 Lexus CT200h is more suited to grabbing the luxury car buyer who yearns for the environmentally-friendly image.
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The Bad 8 v4.0 Part 4 - Honda Accord Crosstour


HONDA ACCORD CROSSTOUR

There are very few automakers in existence which haven't produced at least one jaw-droppingly impressive design. Consider the Toyota 2000GT, Chrysler Airflow, and Honda S600 as examples of greatness by companies which have been a little off the mark of late. A little? In Honda's case, the Accord Crosstour marks a diversion onto a path too-often travelled these days. The second-generation Insight is homely, the CR-Z is good but should've been a lot better, and the Pilot is boxy in every bad sense of the word. 

Ah, but the Honda Accord Crosstour is set apart by its horriawful proportions and lack of attention to detail. And Honda wants you to pay dearly for the dishonour of owning such a vehicle. There is a theory circulating at GCBC Towers which says the Accord Crosstour's price may be a secretive reverse pricing strategy - $29,670 is what Honda pays you to take an Accord Crosstour off their hands. They'd need to, there's no way you'd take anything less than $20,000 to be seen in such an offensive machine.

It's not as though the 2011 Honda Accord Crosstour makes up for its misshapen exterior with a wicked driving experience or a best-in-class interior. In fact, Crosstour interiors are full of almost as many buttons as its exterior has styling demerits. There's no need for ugliness in 2011's automotive market for there are too many handsome alternatives to even consider the Honda Accord Crosstour worthy of a place in serious vehicular discussions.

Alternatives: Toyota Venza, Infiniti G25, Acura TSX Sport Wagon, spending half a day at NSCAD to gain half a clue about design.

Base USD/CAD Price: $29,670 / $34,900

Improvements Required: It's hard to know for sure without Photoshop expertise, but imagine how much better the Crosstour would be if Honda simply stretched the roofline to form a traditional wagon silhouette. Then shrink the grille. Lower the headlights half an inch. Decrease the rear fender bulge. Drop a couple hundred pounds. Add the Accord's 4-cylinder option so the price could drop a few thousand bucks.

Historical Significance: 1991 saw Honda debut the Accord Wagon, a glassy extended-roof version of the increasingly successful Accord sedan. Buyers were scarce. For an Accord, the next-gen wagon was a bit of an oddball, but it remained an effective hauler of family and goods. Europe's Honda Accord, a different car, is North America's Acura TSX. The 2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon is a semi-accurate picture of what American Honda could do for their sub-luxury division if they - and the market - so desired.
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The Bad 8 v4.0 Part 3 - BMW X6


BMW X6


If there is a symbol for everything that's wrong about excess in the automotive world, the BMW X6 is it. The BMW X6 is an overweight machine with overwrought styling and an overeagerness to be "sporty". 

Why go ugly and impractical when you could have a 2011 Porsche Cayenne? Why challenge everything that is completely understood by chassis engineers at McLaren, Ferrari, and Lotus by fitting the X6 with enough unsprung weight to hold a crime family under the Hudson? Why delve deeper into ever-expanding niches to find the limits of desirability when time and money could be spent improving the BMW M3's brakes and stripping weight out of the BMW 135i? Why oh why oh why?

To fully explain the BMW X6's styling catastrophes would be to write a book called What Not To Draw. Expunging the myth that the BMW X6 is worth being seen in is as easy as staring at it for more than a couple initially presence-filled impactful seconds. There is so much wrong with this vehicle, and the wrongs aren't the kind of wrongs you set aside because its wheels are gorgeous or its powertrain is magical. The BMW X6's wrongs are halfway to criminal.

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Alternatives: Porsche Cayenne, BMW X5, drunk dialing.

Base USD/CAD Price: $57,000 / $65,700

Improvements Required: Could we just forget the BMW X6 ever happened? We could, almost. BMW hardly sells any of'em, and the X5 could easily take over the X6's marketplace position, just like it had been doing quite nicely for a decade before the X6 came along.

Historical Significance: BMW introduced the X5, their first SUV (or SAV as they like to say) in the late 90s. It was controversial, not entirely unexpected, and wonderfully successful. A decade later, BMW thought they'd go for totally unexpected, terribly unsuccessful, and completely controversial. 
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The Bad 8 v4.0 Part 2 - BMW 5-Series GT


BMW 5-SERIES GRAN TURISMO


Did we ask for this? Were letters secretly sent to BMW by citizens unwilling to publicize their desires? Are there people who have a fetish for awkwardly-shaped, overweight BMWs? GoodCarBadCar.net tries not to disparage vehicles which put up low sales figures because, after all, some enthusiast-oriented cars also sell poorly. Still, it must be noted, not a single BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo has ever been spotted in the wild by The Good Car Guy. 

Yes, the 2011 BMW 5-Series GT is really ugly, the kind of ugly you'd expect to see when attempts are made by really good car designers to make fun of bad car designers by doodling on an airport bar-supplied napkin. An exhaustive list of this BMW's style problems could fill large books, but to mention a few is the duty of GoodCarBadCar.net, at least when punishing an automaker with Bad 8 placement. 

So here goes. The 5-Series GT's nose is too blunt. Its headlights sit too high. Its ride height is the automotive equivalent of Cozmo Kramer's pants. The character line running under the doorhandles should disguise height but manages to embellish the Gran Turismo's slab-sidedness. The intersection of C-pillar, rear wheelarch, and taillamps is, when viewed from the rear or rear three-quarter, the sort of thing nightmares are made of.

Besides, even without the style problems, the 5-Series Gran Turismo's name makes it sound like this should look as good as the Aston Martin Rapide. Instead, it's an ugly duckling with a huge pricetag, some $6400 USD above the equivalent 5-Series sedan.

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Alternatives: Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon, Porsche Cayenne, wear your Bluetooth headset while getting groceries.

Base USD/CAD Price: $56,000 / $69,900

Improvements Required: There's nothing BMW needs to do to make the 5-Series GT better. Simply banish the vehicle from memory and replace the 5-Series Gran Turismo with the 5-Series Touring.

Historical Significance: The 5-Series Gran Turismo is built by the same company which brought us the gorgeous BMW Z8 and classy BMW 2002tii and currently brings us the divine little BMW Z4. Oh, how the mighty fall every now and then.
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