Does My Car Need Plastic Sugery?

Stars of Hollywood are no stranger to the knife. Lips are plumped, faces tightened, bodies are enhanced with implants, sometimes good; usually bad, all in the name of the "craft." At least that's the nice way to think about it. To think celebrities do these things so that we the audience, recognize our star and remember how good they looked in that one movie, you know the one you saw back in the summer of '95? But more often than not, these procedures are just done in vain. It is the rare but relieving occasion when we see the star slowly age naturally and we think "Oh hey, they're aging well. Yeah she looks good," or "Wow he's going gray now huh? Looks good."

Our cars age in a similar fashion. Cars are constantly put through the cutting knife with new interpretations by the surgeon - I mean designer- to hopefully improve what once was. And while that usually works out well in the car world, some of us don't always want the newest of models. Some of us are happy with what was already there. Obviously American Muscle Classics will always look better as time goes on, and vintage Europeans of the day are like that of a fine wine. But what about the less obvious of cars? What about the cars that once had the auto world aghast with never before seen safety features, and horsepower we could only dream of? Cars of the 80's and 90's specifically. Which cars with enough wax and shine still look good to this day? What cars still hold their own in our "don't-blink-or-you'll-miss-it modernizing world?" I can think of many but my top 10 would include (in no particular order):

1.) 1992-99 Mercedes S-Class

2.) 1982-87 BMW 5-Series

3.) 1988-95 BMW 5-Series (540i specifically)

4.) 1982-91 Porsche 944

5.) 1993-98 Jeep Grand Cherokee

6.) 1991-94 Ford Explorer (Eddie Bauer specifically)

7.) 1977-95 Porsche 928

8.) 1994-97 Volvo 850 (Turbo & R specifically)

9.) 1970-95 Range Rover Classic

10.) 1975-89 Porsche 911 Turbo

I have my reasons for these cars but there are so many more that could make it on here. Which cars do you think are aging gracefully? I'd like to hear your thoughts on cars that you feel still hold their own, even if they're past their glory days. Maybe a list of your top 10.

The Guy Who Knows Cars

The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection & Quality Control

Oh Lexus. Oh Toyota for that matter. I feel it was only a matter of time before Toyota's hurried efforts to fill the driveways of suburbia, and corridors of urban landscape with a Toyota for every boy and girl, that quantity would begin to overshadow quality. What I hoped wouldn't be the case, although inevitable, was that a focused eye on the bottom line and a blind one to quality control, would spill over to the Lexus assembly line. It may already be happening.

Lexus has long been held to a high standard. But of late, reports of questionable fit & finish, defective fuel pipes, and of course the sticky gas pedal phenomena, have begun to mount with the Japanese luxury auto manufacturer. Recalls are not outside the norm for any auto manufacturer and you'll always have a customer at the ready to complain about the slightest squeak, whether it be a Lexus or Suzuki. However what is outside the norm, is for the brands we synonymously link to quality and reliability, to suddenly be thrown into the glaring spotlight of CNN headlines and exposed "hush-hush" interoffice memos. Sure Lexus and Toyota may just be victims of an in-your-face media culture, where nothing is swept under the rug until the media says so, but than comes regarded Consumer Reports red flag against Lexus's newly redesigned GX460 SUV.

I've seen this before, when the Isuzu Trooper and Acura SLX were slapped with a "Not Acceptable" due to roll over risk by CR. Acura/Honda quickly distanced itself from the shared Trooper/SLX, and struggling Isuzu was never really able to recover. That being said though, Lexus isn't Isuzu and I have to hand it to Toyota's aggressive, if a little premature, advertising campaigns that include "Real Customers" buying Toyota products. With their brazen Marketing/PR team I'm sure they can recover from this latest debacle.

I will say though if Toyota Motor Corp spent less time and money on the "make-nice" advertising blitzes and the noble goal of keeping Toyota number one in the United States, and a little more on engineering, design and quality control, their dark days in the media spotlight could probably be behind them sooner than they think. I guess time will tell.

The Guy Who Knows Cars

Kudos To Ford

In the dark days of the American automobile one has to sift through the reports of government bailouts, long loved brands meeting their demise, and sales figures that would make a grown man weep, (I think I can name a few CEO's that already do that) to find good news within the industry. One American brand that may not require as much searching is that of Ford Motor Company.

Ford's U.S. sales were up 43% for March compared to that of last year. Included in this total is Ford's corporate cousin, Mercury, and luxury minded Lincoln brands. This is a great news for Ford as it follows they're general profit of 2009 and month to month thus far. I have to hand it to Ford, they've been one of the smartest American auto manufactures throughout this recession, if by blind luck, or folks in the boardroom are finally speaking the same language.

Ford's profits could easily be pointed to the smarter designs and diverse models they're offering to consumers. It seems Ford focused this past year on their sedans and econo-friendly models, while finally throwing some real life back into Lincoln. This was a smart move in my opinion. By making a good thing even better, the 2010 Ford Fusion keeps the growing in popularity sedan relevant, while managing to squeeze out a Fusion Hybrid, for the green folks. Throwing some engineering time and money behind the 2010 Ford Taurus, it once again gives the Taurus name weight in the competitive family sedan market. Time will tell how well this new Taurus will resonate with customers. With a loftier price tag than perhaps some would come to expect of a Ford product, it may put some buyers off, but at least it doesn't cause any to scan past it compared to the sleepy design of it's identity crisis predecessor, the 2004-09 Five-Hundred/Taurus. And Ford didn't forget to market to the equally competitive, youth oriented market, with a freshened Focus and the 2011 Ford Fiesta. The Fiesta screams Ford of Europe and I think that's a good thing. In fact I suspect Ford has included Ford of Europe's engineering and design team on a sleuth of their latest models which all I can say is "About time!"

Ford also may be leading the American brand edge with the consumer, not only with eye pleasing designs and reliable products, but also in consumer confidence. While GM and Chrylser hung their heads in shame last year, taking government funds to keep their companies afloat, Ford held it's head high, if anxiously, looking towards the future of the economy. Careful planning ahead, before banks started closing their doors for credit, or perhaps just the right decisions were made at the right time, has helped keep Ford "liquid" through this time, and that may be at the top of potential buyers minds. Will my brand be here tomorrow? What will this do for my vehicle's resale value?

Smart, if tough decisions, like selling Land Rover and Jaguar to Tata Motors Ltd. helped cut the fat from Ford's back and perhaps gave it the means to throw money into their domestic products. Or perhaps just made sure they paid their loans on time. Either way a good move by Ford in my opinion. Tata as of late has made news with it's own debts, but we'll save that for another time.

Ford still has great strides to go. They are still nowhere near sit-back-and-relax sales figures, but keeping them on their toes may be just what the doctor ordered. I imagine Ford will next need to focus on some of it's 4x4 products if it hopes someday to relive the golden age of the Ford Explorer and the surging small SUV/Crossover market.

The Guy Who Knows Cars

Captain Acura and the Amazing Acura League

What's that? It's a bird...It's a Plane...It's Acura! Okay well perhaps not as awe inspiring as the flying superhero we all love. Well maybe not all of us, but we can at least appreciate Superman and his contribution to pop-culture. So why involve Honda's luxury division with Superman? Well I honestly think Acura owes a nod to the DC Comic superhero, thanks to Acura's current model design direction, in which every model it seems from their leather wrapped SUV's to their sport-oriented sedans bares a huge shield on their chest...eh I mean huge silver grill on their front end, that evokes Clark Kent's signature "S" though replaced by Acura's skewered "H" for an "A" (H for Honda A for Acura. Isn't that special).

What happend Acura? A few years ago you were putting out pleasant, albeit a little boring, vehicles for the upper-middle/upper-classed consumer to ho-hum to offices and suburban America. Acura's bread and butter, the 99-03 Acura TL, was designed not to offend but to make money and it did. Sure it could easily get lost in the pack, but a handsome pack all the same. And than Acura upped the ante with the sport-inspired 2004 TL. Sure it was a little snug in the rear, but it actually looked like it could hang with some of the bigger boys (I'm talking to you 5 Series). And yeah it was Acura TL overload in America, and everyone and their mother had one in Satin Silver Metallic, but still not an ugly car to look at. And that was basically the same for all of Acura's lineup at that time. But than what does Acura do?

It unveils the chunky 2007 Acura MDX with is superhero shield front and center. It was an eerie warning of what was to come for the rest of the fleet of Acura vehicles. Soon you couldn't look at an Acura without it's shield in your face. I'm curious where this came from? I understand it's bold and different for the brand, but a shield is meant to keep folks away right? Well Acura may be doing just that, with it's latest shielded designs and over styled rear ends. I have this theory that current model Acura's only look good with beer goggles. You know how beer goggles can make everything look so right, but than ya take them off and you want to gouge your eyes out with a rusty nail? Which I guess beer goggles can be fun, but they can have dire consequences.

I suggest Acura go through a fashion makeover and rip off all the accessories they have glued on their models to look "oh so bold," and take a gander at the clean slate they have with some of their models, slap an "A" on a simple grill, and call it a day. That should give Acura plenty of time to focus on it's RL and what's been wrong with that picture for so long now.

The Guy Who Knows Cars

What Is This Blog About?

There once was a boy, just a wee lad, who had always been fascinated with the automobile. He loved everything about cars. He loved their wheels, their sizes, their sounds, the way cars moved and hobbled over uneven pavements. He would often past time as a youngster watching cars go over bumps in the road just to see how the car would react to the sudden change in environment. By the age of seven years old he could easily name the cars on the street. From beat up pick-ups to luxurious land yachts, nothing excited the boy more than being able to identify cars at seven, more than any kid he knew.

He was often asked by adults how he knew which cars were which. It's a strange way how he taught himself, as his parents never really spoke of vehicles, though they fed his appetite happily with a constant barrage of Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars to enjoy. So how did he manage to teach himself at seven, the seemingly impossible feat of identifying a car just by looking at it?

One could imagine it started when he was about five or six years of age. He insisted on sitting behind the driver so that he could look at the passing cars going in the opposite direction. The odds of seeing different cars were higher than being stuck with the flow of traffic streaming in the same direction. He wouldn't necessarily look at the body of the vehicle though, not at first. What he did was gaze at the wheels of the cars. The wheels were the most interesting thing to the boy, and so he would analyze the wheels and than move up to the body taking in the key features of the car along the way. He would make a mental note. Than he would look for these cars in parking lots, intersections, or stuck in traffic and take note of the branding of the vehicle. He would never allow any hot-rod inspired car of fantasy from the designers of Mattel join his admirable toy car collection. The boy would only have cars he'd seen on the clogged streets of his city. After a year of doing this, the boy became very knowledgable of cars. But this only encouraged his love affair.

He read books, researched and studied before he could even fathom the idea of a drivers permit. And as the years passed and designs changed, the young boy grew into a young man, who while still passionate of cars had become rather opinionated of them as well. Automobiles had let him down and had inspired him on more than one occasion. He carried his opinions of the common automobile with him quietly only revealing his insight when asked by an aquaintance who was in the market for the four wheeled machine. Than one day he was asked, "Why do you know this stuff about cars?" And the question held with him. And so he decided to create a blog to post his opinions, knowledge and thoughts of the automobile to hopefully release it from his caged brain and make room for other important subjects like...politics...and...women.

That young boy grew up to be, "The Guy Who Knows Cars".