Saturday Car Thread 12/28/13 - [Niedermeyer's Dead Horse]

Happy last-Saturday-of-2013!

It's astonishing how this year has flown by.

Now, a personal letter to Jeep from this guest blogger:

To the folks at Jeep,

I wish I were writing to you under happier circumstances but such is not the case as, just this week, I laid eyes upon the travesty that is the 2014 Grand Cherokee.

Presently, I own a 2008 Grand Cherokee, purchased new in 2008. And, I don't think I would be overstating it to say that I love my truck. I love the looks, the ride, the dependability.... I love my Jeep. That being said, I had thought that I might trade up to a newer version this coming year. I can now assure you that such is no longer the case.

What the hell were you thinking?

Jeeps have long appealed to a certain type of auto buyer; those seeking rugged good looks with the ability to handle conditions which leaves competitors in the dust.

My affection for Jeeps goes back decades and I even wrote a post at Ace.mu.nu about the thrill of purchasing my first in 2008.

Now, I am left befuddled and, frankly, hoping that my current Jeep (and my patience) hold out long enough for the NEXT generation of Grand Cherokee to arrive because, frankly, there is simply no way I am going to spend one red cent on the 2014 model.

The 2014 Grand Cherokee could provide a ride so thrilling that only a rocket on rails could compete and I still would not purchase it.

It could possess the ability to pull a Hummer out of waist-deep mud and I still would not purchase it.

Why?

Because you have stripped any evidence of its rugged nature from its appearance. Worse, not only have you feminized it beyond belief, you have done so such a way as to create a devastatingly unattractive vehicle.

It is, put plainly, ugly.

Really, really ugly.

No matter how well it drives/pulls/feels the first thing one must desire about a personal vehicle is its aesthetics and the 2014 version leaves me more than cold. In fact, it leaves me boiling at the notion that Jeep would compromise the integrity of the brand in attempt to, what...appeal more to female-buyers rather than "Jeep" buyers? Well, this female buyer isn't biting.

As my sister remarked upon seeing it, "Well wouldn't that be just precious with some false lashes and a little bit of mascara?"

Indeed.

Here's to hoping that the folks at Jeep will remember their heritage, and their loyal fans, when designing the NEXT generation Grand Cherokee.

Just. Wow!

Sincerely,

A Jeep Owner in Jacksonville

Now, a look back...

As we approach the fifth anniversary of President Obama's signature legislation to make us greener whilst growing the economy, let's take a moment to remember the Cars Allowance Rebate System (CARS), more affectionately known as 'Cash for Clunkers'.

How well did it work out? Not very. This recent article from Mother Nature Network wants, desperately so, to argue for its success but just can't make the case. Indeed, they get props for telling both sides of the story here despite their claim that it "could" be a viable program.

Cash for Clunkers got 700,000 polluters off the road, added $2 billion to the GDP, and created more than 2,000 jobs as it involved nearly every auto dealer in America. The average car clunked had 15.8 mpg combined; the average one bought to replace it had 25.4. This was, and is, exactly the kind of program of government stimulus program that economists like the New York Times’ Paul Krugman said we needed at the time — a persistent recession, which among other things drove car sales down from 11 million annually to 9 million.

Jesse Toprak, vice president at Truecar.com, says that the program “accomplished what it set out to do, which was to get consumers back into the showrooms and to jump-start new-vehicle sales.”

Could it have been handled better? You bet, and that’s the conclusion of a new Brookings Institution analysis by Ted Gayer and Emily Parker. They say that Cash for Clunkers...

It's a pretty good article and is worth your time to read it in full.

Still... nothing shows the short-sightedness of the program nor the complete and utter lack of awareness of how the auto market economy works more than this simple video, awe-inspiring if not tear-inducing, for the sinful waste of a functioning, useful piece of machinery.

Years from now I will still look back upon this particular video as the very symbol of failure that was this atrocious piece of legislation.

This week's video is enough to make progressive heads explode. Remember when smokestacks were a symbol of industry and progress in America?

Nope. Nothing exceptional whatsoever about America.

Now, for the moronettes, a classic:

And, for the morons, rock n' roll, cars, and a sassy gal:

See ya next year!

Feel free to send complaints, comments, and suggestions to me at teh Twitter.

posted by Open Blogger at 04:48 PM

| Access Comments