2019 Silverado

[Joe Handley]

Sadly, that's what people want, an appliance, not a car.  The sooner autonomous cars get here for those people, the better.

[Ace-Garageguy]

On 1/16/2018 at 8:16 PM, Spex84 said:

I'm kind of amazed at how both Toyota and Chevy have now both adopted the same "tech" styling that Ford was doing in 2010 and earlier. RAM still stands apart in their form language, for better or worse. 

So here's my annual sneak peek doodle of what these trucks will look like in another couple years:

Brilliant.

Ladies and gentlemen...introducing the 2020 Urban Tuff-Guy E-SIC* 4X4, shown here with the premium WE-ToE** package.

* Extra-Special Inadequacy Compensator      ** Wretched Excess-Two of Everything

(And with our new 15-year financing plan for non-qualified buyers, you'll still be paying for the thing when it''s sitting on blocks in the yard because we won't support the electronics that long)

Edited January 26, 2018 by Ace-Garageguy

[iamsuperdan]

So I'm bringing this back, not from the dead, but from it's coma.

Interesting info just came out on the new 2019 SIlverado half ton.

Turbo 4-cylinder anyone?

http://autoweek.com/article/technology/can-chevys-turbo-four-silverado-win-buyers-over

I think it's interesting, and having driven the 2.7L EcoBoost in the F150, and seeing the reasoning behind this engine choice, and I totally get it. i'd stil lwant the V8 because I do tow, but I totally support this option.

Thoughts?

[Ace-Garageguy]

6 hours ago, iamsuperdan said:

...Thoughts?

Small, highly-stressed engines wear out much more rapidly than larger engines that can produce plenty of torque at low revs. It's common sense if you're an engineer.

Small, highly-stressed engines with turbos are vastly more complex as well.

It's stupid. Period. Even MORE stupid to use one to drag a heavy pickup truck around.

A LOT of these things will be non-repairable junk by the time they're on their second owners.

Have a look at the failure rate of GM /Chrysler/ ZF 8-speed auto gearboxes (insanely complex with lotsa itty bitty highly-stressed parts) if you need corroborating evidence.

http://corvettec7fiasco.blogspot.com/2017/07/as-2018-model-year-comes-8-speed.html

And the only reason this stuff is getting foisted off on the public is because there's nobody with any nads within the companies to stand up and say it's stupid...and these days there's probably only one engineer in 100 (if even that many) who's ever actually opened a hood.

The K.I.S.S. principle came about for a reason.

Edited May 25, 2018 by Ace-Garageguy

[mikemodeler]

8 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

 

And the only reason this stuff is getting foisted off on the public is because there's nobody with any nads within the companies to stand up and say it's stupid...and these days there's probably only one engineer in 100 (if even that many) who's ever actually opened a hood.

 

The automakers need to use turbos and multispeed transmissions to meet regulations enacted by the Federal Government in an effort to improve fuel economy. The fact that recently announced decisions by Ford and GM to reduce the number of small, fuel efficient passenger cars should not be a surprise that these same manufacturers are equipping their top selling vehicles (pickups) with these engines. It is no secret that some manufacturers design their products to barely outlast the warranty, it keeps the costs down and creates demand for replacement vehicles by owners who don't want  to spend money on repairs. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

3 hours ago, mikemodeler said:

The automakers need to use turbos and multispeed transmissions to meet regulations enacted by the Federal Government in an effort to improve fuel economy... 

Of which I'm well aware, and which is a very clear indication that allowing the Fed to establish arbitrary emissions and fuel economy standards for decades is ludicrous. One reason manufacturers pushed large trucklike vehicles was because the fuel economy standards for them were easier to comply with. Now, with an all-trucklike fleet on the horizon, to get the CAFE numbers they need, small engines in big vehicles will be the norm. There is simply NO ONE looking at the big picture, and if you try to enlighten most people, they treat you like a Luddite crackpot. 

Go along to get along. All technology is wonderful. Buy whatever the marketers tell you to buy. The Fed knows everything about everything, and always does the rational thing. Don't think. Baaa baaa baaa.

                                                   

3 hours ago, mikemodeler said:

... It is no secret that some manufacturers design their products to barely outlast the warranty, it keeps the costs down and creates demand for replacement vehicles by owners who don't want  to spend money on repairs. 

Not to mention destroying the second-hand vehicle marketplace. How many buyers of used vehicles are really in a position to cough up an additional $8,000 when the trans quits a few months into ownership? (To the best of my knowledge at the present time, there are NO rebuilders of the 8-speed automatic boxes; you buy a new replacement, or you park it forever) There will come a time when the high cost of repairing this overly complex excrement will make it impossible to even get used-vehicle extended warranty coverage for anything like an affordable price.

But the Fed and the manufacturers and hordes of mostly uninformed consumers go on their merry way singing "lalalalalalala I can't hear you..."

Edited May 25, 2018 by Ace-Garageguy

[iamsuperdan]

10 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Small, highly-stressed engines wear out much more rapidly than larger engines that can produce plenty of torque at low revs. It's common sense if you're an engineer.

Small, highly-stressed engines with turbos are vastly more complex as well.

It's stupid. Period. Even MORE stupid to use one to drag a heavy pickup truck around.

A LOT of these things will be non-repairable junk by the time they're on their second owners.

Have a look at the failure rate of GM /Chrysler/ ZF 8-speed auto gearboxes (insanely complex with lotsa itty bitty highly-stressed parts) if you need corroborating evidence.

http://corvettec7fiasco.blogspot.com/2017/07/as-2018-model-year-comes-8-speed.html

And the only reason this stuff is getting foisted off on the public is because there's nobody with any nads within the companies to stand up and say it's stupid...and these days there's probably only one engineer in 100 (if even that many) who's ever actually opened a hood.

The K.I.S.S. principle came about for a reason.

I get it, and mostly agree. 

 

But then I look at Ford. Now...I don't like Ford. In my line of work, I do everything I can to switch clients into something other than Ford. I personally have never had a Ford that hasn't had issues. However...in our fleet of 14000 vehicles, roughly 3500 of which are Fords, and the majority of those are EcoBoost, we've had exactly one engine issue. And I suspect that one came down to user incompetance. I'll hand it to Ford, those turbo 6 engines have been solid. And yes, there are reports about turbo failure and this failure and that failure, but really no moreso than any other brand. 

This new GM turbo 4 has better power and torque than the Vortec boat anchors found in the trucks until 2014. And as long as consumers are honest about what they need a vehicle to do, I think the 4 will be fine. it's not designed for people who need a truck. It's designed for the city people who think they need a truck. Trucks that will never tow, never haul heavy weight, never have any real demands put on it. Like so many truck owners out there now. Of course, we're going to see those that just don't get it. They're the same people who saw the EcoBoost ads: most power! most towing! Best fuel economy! Well yeah, but not at the same time. They get the EcoBooost, love the capability, then are confuised about why it uses so much fuel when towing their 30 foot travel trailer. If GM gets too many dummies buying this truck, then overstressing it, that will signal the end of it. Because in this day and age, too many bad internet stories are accepted as gospel without knowing the backstory. People will read one or two "junk 4 clinder" stories and accept that it's junk. Not bothering to dig into it. 

 

Ah well. I'll be ordering one to throw in my demo fleet, so what it's like. In the meantime, I'll stick to a V8 in my own trucks.