Suggestion For Automakers

[jayeh]

Originally Posted by edmscan

Let me just say that Alberta is considered the HAVE province and the other provinces know it. We don't have a sales tax (but we do gas our own cars unlike Oregon) and we have lots of oil resources so when **** hits the fan and the economy tanks we still have money in the bank.

Hey! Speak for yourself, Ontario is a have province. We HAVE: expensive auto insurance, expensive booze, Ottawa and Toronto. We have lots of things!

[edmscan]

Originally Posted by jayeh

Hey! Speak for yourself, Ontario is a have province. We HAVE: expensive auto insurance, expensive booze, Ottawa and Toronto. We have lots of things!

Honestly . . you can have both Toronto and Ottawa. Yea .. being stuck on the 401 in rush hour with Toronto's mayor. I think you can HAVE it all .. I will stick to the west. I do however love Vancouver ..

[jayeh]

Originally Posted by edmscan

Honestly . . you can have both Toronto and Ottawa. Yea .. being stuck on the 401 in rush hour with Toronto's mayor. I think you can HAVE it all .. I will stick to the west. I do however love Vancouver ..

Yes. Rush hour on 401. I think there is a break in traffic from 3:00am to about 3:58am, unless there is construction.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by edmscan

Honestly . . you can have both Toronto and Ottawa. Yea .. being stuck on the 401 in rush hour with Toronto's mayor. I think you can HAVE it all .. I will stick to the west. I do however love Vancouver ..

I agree with you re Vancouver, and I think West Vancouver has probably the best location of any suburb in the U.S. or Canada. There are very few in the U.S. that are even in the same stratosphere as West Vancouver that also have some sort of outstanding physical beauty and modern intrusion that is not obnoxious....a few Seattle suburbs (The Highlands, Medina, Yarrow Point, etc).....Belvedere and Tiburon (both near San Francisco)....La Jolla (near San Diego)...Lake Oswego (near Portland)....Alpine,NJ (near NYC)....and some of the smallest towns right on the ocean between Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale in Florida. One thing that puts West Vancouver permanently above these towns (IMHO, for my taste) is having Grouse Mountain in the metro for snow skiing.....so close!

[edmscan]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

I agree with you re Vancouver, and I think West Vancouver has probably the best location of any suburb in the U.S. or Canada.

My parents live in West Vancouver .. at the top of the hill (1200 feet above sea level) I can see the whole lower mainland from there, and even into Washington state and Vancouver Island. I love it there ... but haven't been there for quite a few years. I am not used to the traffic in Vancouver though as Edmonton doesn't have a traffic problem really to speak of.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by jayeh

Yes. Rush hour on 401. I think there is a break in traffic from 3:00am to about 3:58am, unless there is construction.

.... The last time I was in Toronto (in 2007) I left during rush hour on the 401. I remember there WAS (now=?) a hospital very, very close to the 401 amd I spent so much time nearly parked alongside it on the 401 that I probably could have counted all the bricks on the side of the hospital.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by edmscan

My parents live in West Vancouver .. at the top of the hill (1200 feet above sea level) I can see the whole lower mainland from there, and even into Washington state and Vancouver Island. I love it there ... but haven't been there for quite a few years. I am not used to the traffic in Vancouver though as Edmonton doesn't have a traffic problem really to speak of.

Wow, what a fantastic location. My aunt and uncle (in California) built their house together, elevated from the houses around them, and have a significant mountain view--nothing like what you describe...it is a great place to watch fireworks from though. My aunt jokes that they will be taken out of the house feet first (they'll never move). I'll bet your parents feel the same way. Vancouver has mass transit that people actually enjoy using (at least that was my impression re my use and the people I spoke with...I also drove around as well), but I would imagine that the bus in West Vancouver doesn't make it quite all the way up to your parent's house.

I don't like traffic either. I love my area, but Montgomery County is the 23rd fastest growing county in the U.S. (out of over 3,000 counties) and Exxon Mobil announced last year that they are going to build their North American headquarters where Harris County meets Montgomery County with the Grand Parkway right next to it. The Grand Parkway will be the longest beltway around any city in the world (about 180 miles). If the traffic increases as much as I think it will I will probably move up to Lake Conroe on the very edge of the Houston Metro and half into the Sam Houston National Forest.

[jambo101]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Why isnt anyone in the industry building an economy dedicated car? People will buy it not because of the social status that comes with a car but solely for the fuel economy. (and lets throw in Toyota durability to sweeten the deal)

Wouldnt the Yaris fit that description?
Or the Toyota Scion I-Q?

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by jambo101

Wouldnt the Yaris fit that description?
Or the Toyota Scion I-Q?

Well, sort of.

The Scion comes with all sorts of upgraded features that make it start at $16,000. To actually BUY one you are writing a check for $20,000. Or something near that. They even make Scions that have a sticker of $20,000 and guess which ones the dealers usually have in stock?

Besides the Scion has a 1.3 liter engine when it could have the 1 liter.

It probably the best bet. Its better than a Smart. But am I paying ~$20,000 for an iQ? MAybe if Im forced to!

The Yaris is a step in the wrong direction from the ECHO. Its heavier. It doesnt get as good fuel economy. It has a 1.5 liter engine, not a 1 liter or even a 1.3.

The Yaris is probably the best bet on the market however, even compared to the iQ. For what the iQ costs youd probably be better off with the carrying capacity of the Yaris.

The problem is manufacturers dont make money on small cars. With the Smart and iQ, they are trying to make us pay the same ammount of money we would for a larger car.