AD #2860 – Tesla Model Y Quality Issues; Subaru Legacy Sport Impressions; BMW Updates the M5 Sedan
June 17th, 2020 at 11:50am
Listen to “AD #2860 – Tesla Model Y Quality Issues; Subaru Legacy Sport Impressions; BMW Updates the M5 Sedan” on Spreaker.
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Runtime: 11:25
0:07 GM Asks for Moment of Silence for George Floyd
0:59 Tesla Model Y Quality Issues
2:16 How Audi Improved the e-tron’s Aerodynamics
3:05 VW Paying Extra to Get Full Control of Audi
3:55 2020 Subaru Legacy Sport Impressions
5:41 Lamborghini Urus Gets 1st Custom Options
6:50 BMW Updates the M5 Sedan
8:00 How Silicon Carbide Chips Can Improve EV Range
9:52 Mercedes-AMG Develops New Electrified Turbocharger
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This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.
GM ASKS FOR MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR GEORGE FLOYD
Yesterday we reported that General Motors is taking action against racism and promoting inclusion. It already committed spending $10 million with organizations that promote inclusion and fight injustice. Now GM president Mark Reuss is asking the company’s employees in its global operations to observe a moment of silence this Friday for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. As you probably know, that’s the amount of time a police officer in Minneapolis kneeled on the neck of George Floyd, killing the African American and touching off protests around the country and around the world. In GM’s U.S. operations first shift employees will start the moment of silence at 8:46 am, while second shift workers will do it at 8:46 pm.
TESLA MODEL Y QUALITY ISSUES
We keep hearing about lots of quality problems with the new Tesla Model Y. Numerous media reports cite issues with poorly fitting panels, missing paint, misaligned rear seats and other issues. The Model Y shares so many parts and components with the Model 3 that this is an alarming development. This shouldn’t be happening. And it shows there are probably fundamental quality problems with Tesla’s stamping shop, its body shop, its paint shop as well as in final assembly. Some of the quality issues are so glaring it’s obvious that they were not missed by quality inspectors, they were shipped out of the plant despite the defects. And that shows Tesla is adopting the worst practices of the old Detroit: just ship the cars and let the customers deal with it. Tesla is in a rush to make up for lost production due to the Covid-19 lockdowns. And it’s desperate to post good earnings for the second quarter which ends in two weeks, so it’s just pushing cars out the door no matter what kinds of problems they have. Our advice to Tesla is don’t do it. Good reputations can take years to build, but they can be destroyed by bad quality in just a matter of months.
HOW AUDI IMPROVED THE e-tron’s AERODYNAMICS
The driving range of an electric vehicle is very important and one way to boost it, is to make it as aerodynamic as possible. So Audi developed a new patented solution for the e-tron S Sportback, which allows it to achieve an impressive drag coefficient of 0.26. The side air inlets at the front, guides air over the wheels and the sides of the vehicle. Narrow horizontal struts in the wheel arches regulate air through the openings and reduce swirling at the wheels. The wheel arches of the Sportback version are 23 millimeters wider than the regular e-tron which helps it achieve the low coefficient of drag. Its aero is also improved by the use of digital outer mirrors, which use cameras, that are smaller and sleeker than normal mirrors.
VW PAYING EXTRA TO TAKE FULL CONTROL OF AUDI
And speaking of Audi, Volkswagen wants to take full control of its luxury brand. VW currently controls 99.64% of Audi but it wants 100%. So it’s spending nearly $270 million to buy out the rest of those shareholders. As of yesterday, Audi shares were worth a little over 1,000 euros apiece but VW will pay 1,500 euros, a nearly 50% premium, just to make sure it gets them.
2020 SUBARU LEGACY SPORT IMPRESSIONS
We just had a 2020 Subaru Legacy Sport roll through the Autoline Garage. On the outside the Sport version differs from the regular Legacy with some trim items: a different rear bumper, a trunk lid spoiler, black side mirrors and black 18-inch alloy wheels. Same on the inside. The difference is just in the trim: a leather wrapped steering wheel, aluminum pedals, and red stitching all around. Of course, being a Sport model it offers a Sport driving mode. But even though it’s a sport model, it doesn’t get Subaru’s more powerful turbocharged 2.4L engine. Instead it gets the naturally aspirated version 2.5L. It does have enough get up and go when you need it, though it can be a bit buzzy at lower speeds. But the fuel economy is pretty good, coming in at 30 MPG combined. Not bad for an all-wheel drive vehicle of this size. The Legacy is built on a new, stiffer platform, which not only provides better steering and handling, it’s also quieter on the inside. Speaking of the interior, it comes standard with a new 11.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system. A welcome upgrade compared to Subaru’s previous system which is a bit outdated. The Legacy Sport starts at about $28,000 including destination charges. The model we drove had $2,200 in options, which added a moonroof, Blind Spot Detection, navigation system and Reverse Automatic Braking. Overall, the Legacy Sport is a nice vehicle but nothing really stands out about it. And don’t be fooled into thinking this is a performance version of the Legacy. It’s really sporty in name only.
LAMBORGHINI URUS GETS FIRST CUSTOM OPTIONS
Since Lamborghini launched the Urus, it’s sold 8,300 of the SUVs and hopes to attract even more customers with enhanced standard equipment, new colors and a new trim package. What they call the Pearl Capsule edition is the first customization option for the Urus and comes in three colors; green, orange or yellow. Those bright colors are contrasted by a gloss black roof, rear diffuser, spoiler lip, massive 23-inch wheels as well as exhaust tips finished in a matte grey. The interior features body-color accents on the seats, doors, dashboard, cup holders and floor mats. There’s also a number of carbon fiber and black aluminum details. Other improvements not exclusive to the Pearl Capsule edition include more standard and special paint colors, new key design and an updated Park Assist package. The 2021 Urus is available right now around the world and carries a starting price of $218,000 in the U.S., not including destination charges.
UPDATED BMW M5 SEDAN
Speaking of updates for 2021, here’s the new BMW M5 sedan. The twin kidney grille is larger and the redesigned front and rear bumpers look more aggressive than other models. And like the Lambo, black accents all over the car contrast the new red and grey paint colors. Interior improvements are highlighted by a larger 12.3-inch display screen, cloud-based navigation and a new Track mode for M5 Competition models. But the upgrades are more than cosmetic. New shock absorbers are fitted to the car, and the suspension control system is fully recalibrated. The M5 is still powered by a 600 horsepower 4.4L twin-turbo V8 mated to all-wheel drive and an 8-speed automatic. It will do 0-60 in 3.2 seconds. Global market launch is scheduled for August and price starts at over $104,000 including destination charges.
HOW SILICON CARBIDE CHIPS CAN IMPROVE EV RANGE
Most automakers use silicon-based chips for power electronics in their electric vehicles, but Vitesco Technologies, which is part of the giant German supplier Continental, developed silicon carbide chips that are even more efficient. Here Vitesco’s Head of Electrification Technology shares some of the benefits of switching from silicon to silicon carbide.
Beyza Sarioglu, Head of Electrification Technology, Vitesco Technologies
“So, when we use silicon carbide chips in our inverter design we can reduce the conduction losses as well as the switching losses. This is one benefit and this enables us to create a more efficient design. So, we’re essentially using less power from the battery – electrical power – and then our e-Drive system is converting that electrical power to mechanical power, which drives the wheels. The less power we draw from the battery to run our system, the better it is for the electric vehicle because then we could actually use that electrical energy in the battery for an extended range for the electric vehicle. So, (that’s the) added benefit. And, you know, in an e-Drive system the inverter and the motor they kind of need to work together in a perfect harmony. So, sometimes what’s good for the inverter is not necessarily good for the motor and visa versa. So, we have to find this really balanced optimum point so that the system itself is working in a very efficient mode. Silicon carbide enables us to use much higher switching frequencies, which then makes our motor more efficient. It eliminates the harmonic losses in the motor.”
That entire interview is available on our YouTube channel if you’d like to learn more about silicon carbide chips and Vitesco Technologies.
MERCEDES-AMG DEVELOPS NEW ELECTRICALLY ASSISTED TURBO
Mercedes-AMG is continuing its push into electrification, but in this case we’re talking about an electric turbocharger. Mercedes-AMG worked with the supplier Garrett Motion, to develop it. Influenced by its Formula 1 technology, a small 48-volt electric motor, only 4 centimeters wide, sits between the exhaust and fresh air side of the housing. The motor allows the turbine to spool up before it ever comes in contact with exhaust gases. Mercedes-AMG says this reduces turbo lag and improves vehicle response from a standstill and across the entire engine range. Off the line acceleration is better because the electric turbo generates higher torque at lower engine speeds. The new turbo will replace the conventional units currently used on AMG’s 2.0L 4-cylinder and 4.0L V8 engines.
Don’t forget to join us for Autoline After Hours tomorrow when our guest will be the auto analyst Jeff Schuster from LMC Automotive. Join me and Gary Vasilash for some of the best insights into the automotive industry.
And that wraps up today’s report, thanks for watching.
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Comments (43)
June 17th, 2020 at 11:59 am
Tesla seems to have quality issues in general. This is part of an email from a friend the day after he took delivery of a new Model S.
“Paint is fancy, but clearcoat application is amateurish and appears to have been done in a dusty environment. I have done much better in my garage.”
June 17th, 2020 at 12:17 pm
So the electrically assisted turbo just assists the turbo charger to reduce/eliminate lag or does it actually produce a ‘minimal’ amount of boost (as would a supercharger) before the turbo kicks fully in. Pretty neat concept in any event.
June 17th, 2020 at 12:25 pm
@1 a friend of mine owns a TESLA Model X and is very happy with it, loves it. The passenger door does not fit perfectly in the body, and he is fine with it: “As a TESLA buyer you know there are some body quality issues, but you buy it because you want it now, and they will figure it out eventually.” I hope TESLA’s quality issues are few and that the customers are as tolerant as my friend, since I root for the home team, this U.S. automaker.
June 17th, 2020 at 12:27 pm
John, any info on how much less energy silicon carbide chips use? Normal silicon chips use almost no power (< 60 watts, some as low as 20) Hard to see how significant power could be save.
June 17th, 2020 at 12:36 pm
2. I read about it a while back, and as I remember, it produces minimal boost, but allows spooling up, using minimal power, when the throttle is closed, and the intake tract is in a partial vacuum. I somehow thought they were already using the e-turbo in the new inline six they’ve had for a couple years, but I guess not.
June 17th, 2020 at 12:45 pm
John to expand on your comment about Tesla’s reputation. They will not only ruin a reputation in a few month but the flip side is repairing that reputation can take years to fix. Something the US big three learned the hard way. They been producing cars on par with Japanese quality for years but still are viewed inferior. Tesla should heed that warning.
June 17th, 2020 at 12:49 pm
5 Too bad they cant run the E-turbo 100% of the time and produce equal boost. That would help with heat management and space not having to loop the exhaust. I suppose it doesn’t make much sense when the exhaust pressure is free compared to carrying a big battery just to increase boost.
June 17th, 2020 at 12:51 pm
3. Even though the paint quality is bad for a ~100K car, or even a $20K car, I suspect my friend will be happy with his S, if it is functionally reliable. In an email, he said it was stuck in Chill mode, but he suspects that it was something he did. Knowing him, he will figure out, and take full advantage of the electronic gadgetry.
June 17th, 2020 at 12:54 pm
4, Kevin, I just finished watching the show on the chips and what was supplied was a range of about 4 to 8 percent more efficient. These are high current chips and apparently that is where that they perform above the silicon chip. Mentioned was an economical benefit when using an 800 volt recharging capacity, which currently is very limited but expected to be more mainstream as BEVs take hold. These chips are more expensive but an absolute number was not given (but was expected to come down, eventually, due to scale). If you’ve got ten minutes to watch the show, it can probably answer most of your questions.
June 17th, 2020 at 1:12 pm
Eliminating turbo lag is huge. And doing so with electrification, even more so.
June 17th, 2020 at 1:13 pm
Tesla has a build reputation to lose? Ever since there have been TSLA short-sellers, the broken record has replayed “build quality” as if that is #1 buyer criteria. So when the light turns green, we all hop out of our cars to measure build quality . . . NO! I measure how far ahead I am of the other traffic after reaching the posted speed limit.
I also measure how much it cost to drive 1,980 miles, $60, or 714 miles, $25. As cheap as gas is, I am getting a free charge as I eat my lunch and type this note.
Car reviewers seldom address the operating cost because they get pristine “press” cars, not the ones in the dealer back lot. Could that possibly affect their value judgment?
June 17th, 2020 at 1:19 pm
9 When I was working, we heard a little about SiC, but we didn’t process any. It has lower “on” resistance per area than Si. SiC needs higher gate voltage to turn on, but that’s no big deal. You just have to design the circuitry for it.
June 17th, 2020 at 1:23 pm
I suggest that Autoline drops all news items about Tesla. There are so many sources for the same information, it’s already public knowledge. Seems like everyone that comments on any Tesla story knows more than Elon and anything you say is so very wrong. This way we wouldn’t have to listen endlessly to the Tesla tykes.
Frankly it would make automotive news more interesting.
June 17th, 2020 at 1:30 pm
Regarding the Legacy Sport, is anyone else tired for OEM’s debasing the fun in “sport”? My assessment of the content does not add-up to anything of value or “sport”:
1. Different rear bumper – More black-out, but still too boxy at the corners.
2. Trunk lid spoiler – A design cliche to imply sportiness, but no function as the vehicle has no incremental guts.
3. Black wheels and mirrors – A very tired design cliche for a Goth look or a concession to lazy people who don’t clean their wheels. I relate to neither set on constituents.
4. Interior trim bits and Sport driving mode – Nice, but akin to false advertising without the guts to go with them.
5. 2.5L NA engine – To modify a quote from Wendy’s Clara Peller, where’s the guts?
Bottom line – More black-outs + base P/T = cheap. Adding a “Sport” badge does not justify higher pricing.
June 17th, 2020 at 1:33 pm
The interview about SiC was very interesting. There’s also a big push into using more gallium nitride GaN for power semiconductors because of their greater efficiency. The expansion of the EV market is creating new opportunities in other areas not traditionally seen as relating to the automotive industry.
June 17th, 2020 at 1:40 pm
@11 I would agree that performance and reliability take precedence over build quality on the model 3 but when your dumping close to 100K on a car, as is the case with all other Tesla models. One would expect a level of build quality on par with similar cars in that price range.
If Tesla just desires to be the largest EV manufacturer with good reliable vehicles that are less than perfect when it comes to fit and finish. The model 3 and others like it will be a good fit for them. However, they will open the door to be knocked off their pedestal in the luxury segment. Competition looks for the weakness and another EV manufacturer will be happy to pay attention to detail and build a luxury EV to kill the model S,& X.
June 17th, 2020 at 1:41 pm
John,
Will the line stop for the 8+ minutes on each shift for the moment of silence, or is GM just expecting its workers to continue working without talking and background music?
Interesting that Audi stock price is higher than Tesla, for the moment anyway.
June 17th, 2020 at 1:49 pm
@16 – I agree, once there is more competition for Tesla, consumers may choose vehicles with comparable performance and benefits that are better built. I worked for GM during the dark days in the 80′s of poor quality. It is still affecting their sales and reputation today. It may be too late for Tesla though, even now.
And don’t forget, its not just build quality. Tesla has been using the public as its proving grounds for many of its new high tech features, refining them with updates as issues arise, rather than testing them and refining them thoroughly before releasing the vehicles for sale. Honestly, I am surprised that the feds have let them get away with some of the things they have done, especially when it comes to safety issues (Auto Pilot).
June 17th, 2020 at 1:51 pm
11. I like getting good gas mileage “on general principles,” but let’s face it. Actually fuel/electricity operating cost is trivial, as a percentage of the cost of owning a car, unless you drive an uninsured, rusted out, depreciated out 20 year old pickup truck getting 10 mpg. I average 46 mpg with my Camry hybrid, and drive it about 12K miles a year. I pay almost 3 times as much for insurance as for fuel, never mind the depreciation on a two year old car, which is much more than that.
Yeah, I think most Tesla buyers realize that they won’t get Toyota, or Benz-like build quality, but my friend is a little disappointed that his almost $100K Model S has a paint job that a cheap Chevy would put to shame.
June 17th, 2020 at 2:40 pm
19 That’s exactly my point Kit. Tesla buyers may be willing to except a sub par paint job now just to be able to own a Tesla. They have a cult like following and essentially no competition. As the rest of the manufacturers or maybe even a new one figures out how to build an EV that meets all the same criteria that a Tesla does but can do it with stellar fit and finish, Tesla wont know what hit them.
Its sad cause I want Tesla to continue to succeed and they have the time right now to get their house in order. If not, the blindside that will hit them could be swift and powerful leaving them scrambling to catch-up.
June 17th, 2020 at 2:42 pm
14. At least it doesn’t have a lift kit, like they added to ruin the Legacy wagon a few years ago.
June 17th, 2020 at 2:57 pm
20. It seems that they have been in too much of a hurry to get production up to speed for the Model Y. Also, my Seattle friend’s Model S with the sub-par paint job may have been an early car from after they re-started the plant. Yeah, they need to get better on these things, before the competition gets stiffer.
For now, Tesla has a clear advantage over the competition in performance/price with 3 and Y, and have a major charge infrastructure advantage for those who use EVs for road trips, but that won’t last forever.
June 17th, 2020 at 3:12 pm
The web link is an article that provides more technical details and data between ‘Si’ and ‘SiC’ devices. Since ‘SiC’ is more efficient, there is less heat that has to be removed and avoid the cost of cooling the power electronics.
June 17th, 2020 at 4:01 pm
Requirements are individual and I have no problem if others buy a car to show off at a car show. In contrast, my cars work for a living:
1) operating efficiency – we used to drive Prius but our Std Rng Plus Model 3 is significantly cheaper to operate both per mile and maintenance. The Model 3 has about 100-1000 fewer moving parts (depending on count,) no oil changes, no air breather filter, no PVC valve . . .
2) safety – without an engine block and transmission along with advanced crush mechanics, the Model 3, and other Tesla models have top NHTSA and IIHS ratings. Not just high but head and shoulders above.
3) insurance – fully paid off (thanks TSLA stock!), liability only protects us, not the car. We’ll let the ambulance chasers sue for the replacement car.
4) quality of ride – even quieter than our former Prius, the engine noises come from the traffic around us.
5) performance – we beat everyone across the intersection at every light and reach the speed limit first for lane choice. This is every day and every light without having to rev up the engine.
6) autopilot – turns out this is becoming more and more common (under different names) in upper trim ($$$) cars. Autopilot is standard in all Teslas. Furthermore, Tesla is upgrading AutoPilot with my latest version loaded two weeks ago. Everyone else has to go back to the dealer for the dealer coffee bar. I got “Full Self Driving” for $6,000 and it is getting better too.
Ignore Tesla at your own peril. It is a question of relevance. I dropped ‘Autoline Weekly’ and ‘Consumer Reports’ when their editorial policies distorted Prius reporting. Those were paid subscriptions.
As for advocating for NKLA (and others,) we’ll meet you on the street. Opps, too few sales . . . darn, whose requirements are what customer’s are following?
June 17th, 2020 at 4:18 pm
Is Tesla an automotive manufacturer or a Tech. company? I ask for two reasons;
First, There are now others offering over-the-air performance packages for Teslas at a much lower cost. If Tesla claims to be a manufacturer, these add-on’s should should not impinge upon Tesla’s up grade offerings.
Second, If other companies are offering up-grade packages at a lower price than Tesla’s, build quality will certainly become a bigger issue in the near future. They have had issues from day one and gave little importance to correct them.
June 17th, 2020 at 4:21 pm
24. 6). I haven’t experienced “autopilot” or similar. If I had, it might make me want a Tesla (if I had a place to charge it), a Cadillac, or something else that has the semi-autonomous tech.
5). As far as getting ahead of other cars at intersections, I can do that probably 95% of the time, even with my Camry, if I want to, even though probably half of the cars on the road are quicker, because most people don’t floor it when taking off from stop lights.
June 17th, 2020 at 7:53 pm
1, 3, etc Unless it’s Debbie Downer’s (Cwolf’s or Joe’s) birthday, the ‘bad news” about the model Y are wasted.
The report seems strange to a THINKING person. If the model 3 shares so many parts with the Y, WHY is it that all the Model 3s I have ever seen are IMMACULATE inside and out, really high-quality (if not luxury) cars, and the Y has problems?
Usually the opposite happens, the FIRST model has problems (the Model 3, which may have had PRODUCTION issues but NOT Quality issues) and the SECOND is far better made (and usually cheaper made too). It is called the “Learning” or the “Experience” Curve.
June 17th, 2020 at 7:54 pm
13 if you can’t take FREE SPEECH, I suggest you move to NORTH KOREA or similar “Sheethole”. You will be far happier there.
June 17th, 2020 at 7:57 pm
11 use your common sense. Auto writers are poshly wined and dined by EVERY auto company EXCEPT Tesla. the same suspects get paid $ billions for ADS on print and TV from the same automakers, EXCEPT Tesla. Seriously, do you expect ANY of them to be objective? They will always sing the praises of Mazda and Volvo and even Hyundai and Kia, that provide their daily BREAD, and will not BITE the hand that FEEDS them.
However investors are WISER than that.
June 17th, 2020 at 8:04 pm
25 This is actually a good question and the answer is that TESLA is a HIGH TECH company which is valued as a successful High tech company as it should. Their products fetch Luxury and Top Luxury car prices not because they are too luxurious (the S and the X are far less luxurious than an S class), but because they are
HIGH performance (REALLY HIGH)
HIGH Tech (Far higher than any of their poor competitors)
CLEAN, emissions free car makers,
which, impressively for their most important model, the mass market Model 3 (so far), are priced THE SAME with the Venerable 3 Series it ANNIHILATED, and NOT twice its price, as COMPLIANCE, low tech, more primitive B EVs like the Bolt and the Leaf cost over the SOnic and the Versa with which they share the main dimensions and room.
In case anybody has no clue what the above means, it means that, whether some of us like it or the rest of us who don’t, TESLA will CONTINUE to be the UTTERLY DOMINANT (by a HUGE margin) WORLD BEV MAKER.
And unlike the onetime big 3, who could not sell diddly squat overseas for 4 decades, TESLA is revered ALL OVER THE PLANET, and espewcially where it matters MOST, in CHINA, the world’s by FAR biggest BEV market.
I wrote all this because I know Joe and CWOLF will be thrilled.
June 17th, 2020 at 8:46 pm
27. As I mentioned, my friend’s two day old Model S has a crappy paint job, and the S has been around a long time. It could have been early production, after the restart of the plant, though.
and… 30. He considers the S to be no more “luxurious” than his Prius V but, of course, it’s much faster, handles much better, and has cooler tech. I’ll be curious to hear what he thinks about “autopilot,” after he’s used it a while. This is a college friend who introduced me to cruise control, with his SAAB 99, in the early ’70s. He as had a number of quite different cars, from an Olds 442 convertible, to the SAAB, a Citation, Chrysler minivans, a regular Prius, Prius V, Miata, Odyssey, and now the Model S. I think he still has the Miata and Odyssey. No brand loyalty here.
Normally, he would be driving from Seattle to Indiana in a few weeks for the national model airplane contest, but probably won’t this year, because of covid. Before buying the Tesla, he made sure that the “superchargers” would work for making that trip via his usual route.
June 17th, 2020 at 9:55 pm
Don’t get too excited about quicker spooling turbochargers to help with lag. The transmission with a torque converter is still part of the lag when already rolling. Plus the throttle response will never be.like a.light switch in response and you can thank Toyota sudden accleration and the lack of fail safes for that!
June 17th, 2020 at 10:06 pm
The M5 is nice, just needs a bigger grill.
June 17th, 2020 at 10:18 pm
32. To me, the “problem” of turbo lag is highly exaggerated. At 50 mph in top gear in my ’89 Dodge Caravan, the turbo probably takes a second and a half to spool up if I step on it, and don’t downshift. So what? If the engine is spinning faster, like if I downshift, the turbo spools up quicker. With the automatic in the same vehicle, you’d probably wait longer for the transmission to downshift, than for the turbo to spool up. Turbo lag is not a problem, even with my van, and turbochargers in today’s engines spool up much quicker.
June 18th, 2020 at 12:03 am
Say what you want about Subaru but at least they know where to locate the engine oil filter for ease of changing and making sure the tech put it back on tight enough, I wish more manufacturers would locate the oil filter in an easy-to-access location for us shade tree mechanics and folks who always check the work of the oil change technicians.
June 18th, 2020 at 1:27 am
The web link is to an article describing Tesla Model 3 use of SiC in their inverters. This partially explains why the Model 3 has the highest EPA rating. See the Munro videos for more details.
One caution about AutoPilot. After 55 years of manual driving, it took three weeks before I felt comfortable with it. Your friend may want to reach out to a local Tesla group to see if anyone might help mentor him on AutoPilot. Also, the price of “Full Self Driving” goes up $1,000 come July.
June 18th, 2020 at 7:25 am
https://europe.autonews.com/automakers/how-chinese-brands-are-using-evs-gain-foothold-europe?utm_source=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20200618&utm_content=article2-image
June 18th, 2020 at 7:41 am
35 et al, I had been a vocal Subaru critic, could not stand their ugly vehicles back then, and could not understand why a AWD vehicle has to have such huge OVERHANGS front and rear (a sure recipe to uglify any vehicle). But recently Subaru has been on a roll, huge successes in sales and market share, and its cars look far better than they used to.
I may have said that I had driven, back in 2008, A Subaru “turbo” wagon owned by a filthy rich high school classmate, whose guest I was at his compound on a very small island in the Mediterranean (for you Sheer Luck Holmeses out there, Popular Actor Tom Hanks has a villa in same tiny island).
That Turbo was fun to drive, BUT it was a true gas hog. Maybe it was my driving style, on the rough dirt road of that island, at high speed, or maybe its gas tank was too small, but I had to put gas in it all the time!
Speaking of gas tank, I looked up mine in the manual, and it is 80.0 liters (21.12 US gallons), but 9.0 liters of that (2.38 gal?) is ‘reserve”, so when the fuel is low, you get a warning even though you still have 90 miles of range left. (in the E diesel)
June 18th, 2020 at 7:50 am
https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2020/06/c8-corvette-production-seems-cursed/
Whaaa?
June 18th, 2020 at 8:01 am
My sister has a Subaru Forester, about 2017, and the thing that stood out when she bought it, was the value. It is a mid trim one with leather, sunroof, and maybe a power driver’s seat, and MSRP was barely over $30K. I’ve driven it, and it drives ok, but nothing special. It’s hard to drive smoothly at parking lot speeds, because the transmission can’t decide what to do, but most of the time, the CVT powertrain works fine. It doesn’t have a digital speedometer available, unusual for a car that recent. Also, it uses a little oil, about a quart in 3-4000 miles. That would have been very low oil consumption 30 years ago, but is high, compared to most recent cars, at least ones I’ve had. To my knowledge, though, it has needed no repairs in ~40K miles.
June 18th, 2020 at 1:53 pm
It would seem to me that the electric motor in those turbochargers have to function and survive in a rather hellish environment. How do they do it?
While reading some comments about the eTurbos, I thought “Hey! Maybe they could just drive it with the electric motor and have an exhaust gas driven turbo-generator!” Then I laughed. Who doesn’t like complexity just for the sake of complexity?
June 18th, 2020 at 8:19 pm
Larry D, you are a Tesla lover, so why don’t you find an excuse for the lousy paint job Tesla is doing on it’s cars — and this been going on for a long time. I would never buy a car that’s built in a tent much less if it’s built by an over-hype company.
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=Tesla+buyers+refusing+delivery+due+to+bad+paint+jobs
June 18th, 2020 at 8:40 pm
42 despite your Tesla hater fairy tales about alleged paint defects, I must have seen almost 100 Tesla’s of different models, half of them Model 3s, and EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM had IMMACULATE Paint. So you can propagate your fairy tales and miss the forest for the trees, that TESLA, OBJECTIVELY, BY THE FACts and nUMBERS, DOMINATES (do I need to spell the word for you? how many times do I need to repeat it until even you get it?) the BEV Industry, and there is not even a SECOND PLACE finisher, those are so far back, they are not visible to the naked eye.
So put that in your Tesla hating pipe and smoke it, while Tesla shareholders and owners are crying all the way to the bank.