Comments on: Last Stand on the Hill: Burnin’ Down the House http://www.speedsportlife.com/2008/12/05/last-stand-on-the-hill-burnin-down-the-house/ Covering the latest in Automotive News, Events, and Trends Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:41:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Mark M http://www.speedsportlife.com/2008/12/05/last-stand-on-the-hill-burnin-down-the-house/comment-page-1/#comment-84590 Mark M Sun, 07 Dec 2008 21:09:06 +0000 http://www.speedsportlife.com/2008/12/05/last-stand-on-the-hill-burnin-down-the-house/#comment-84590 This is the most venal, ignorant, short-sighted, illiterate and incompetent Congress since Reconstruction. I'm speechless. This is the most venal, ignorant, short-sighted, illiterate and incompetent Congress since Reconstruction. I’m speechless.

]]> By: Jack Baruth http://www.speedsportlife.com/2008/12/05/last-stand-on-the-hill-burnin-down-the-house/comment-page-1/#comment-84580 Jack Baruth Sun, 07 Dec 2008 16:23:55 +0000 http://www.speedsportlife.com/2008/12/05/last-stand-on-the-hill-burnin-down-the-house/#comment-84580 SSL is "officially" a fan of the Aspen Hybrid; Zerin and I drove one about 30 days after driving the Yukon Hybrid and I thought the Aspen made a better value case for itself than the more expensive GMC. The Durango is one of those products which lives or dies based on the whim of the middle-middle class; with Chrysler's smaller dealer base and fuel worries it simply didn't have the staying power of the GMT900. That's *my* opinion, not the SSL opinion. SSL is “officially” a fan of the Aspen Hybrid; Zerin and I drove one about 30 days after driving the Yukon Hybrid and I thought the Aspen made a better value case for itself than the more expensive GMC.

The Durango is one of those products which lives or dies based on the whim of the middle-middle class; with Chrysler’s smaller dealer base and fuel worries it simply didn’t have the staying power of the GMT900. That’s *my* opinion, not the SSL opinion.

]]> By: Adam Barrera http://www.speedsportlife.com/2008/12/05/last-stand-on-the-hill-burnin-down-the-house/comment-page-1/#comment-84527 Adam Barrera Sat, 06 Dec 2008 21:50:56 +0000 http://www.speedsportlife.com/2008/12/05/last-stand-on-the-hill-burnin-down-the-house/#comment-84527 @ACR MAN: First, congratulations for your tenure at Chrysler, and condolences for your separation. I understand that just about every vehicle on the market is the product of somebody's passion. <a href="http://shuffle.highmileage.org/aspenhybrid.jpg" rel="nofollow">I took this photo of a dev mule on 20 July 2007.</a> :) I'm not minimizing its importance to you or the HEV team. The Durango and Aspen HEVs were real, and I appreciate that. That said, the limited retail sale critique is correct -- and irrefutable. Maybe they should've two-moded a product that had a future. They had to know the Durango was dying -- those outside Chrysler could surely tell. Why does the Tahoe Hybrid soldier on? I guess the non-HEV GMT900's business case is better than the non-HEV Durango's. Arlington Truck was never scheduled to close, but I have to think that plans were on the table to close Newark even as I snapped that pic of the mule in '07. Malignment. That's the only word that can be used to describe the Durango HEV project. Moot critique of the vehicle itself: the tachless IP's hybrid info gage is probably the most useless needle-and-dial setup I've ever seen, and the throttle-by-wire calibration (that's set to "stick" the throttle by up to a half-second before coasting in order to avert MPG-sapping accidental throttle lifts) is ridiculous at best and flatly dangerous at worst. I tried relaying my concerns to engineers at Chrysler twice -- at 6 and 13 days into retail sale -- but they were wholly disinterested in hearing any critique. When it died at 22 days old, I had to ask: the anger, the indignance... over a car that was DOA? I'm a guest blogger; these views do not represent the views of SSL or its staff. :) @ACR MAN: First, congratulations for your tenure at Chrysler, and condolences for your separation. I understand that just about every vehicle on the market is the product of somebody’s passion.

I took this photo of a dev mule on 20 July 2007. :) I’m not minimizing its importance to you or the HEV team. The Durango and Aspen HEVs were real, and I appreciate that.

That said, the limited retail sale critique is correct — and irrefutable. Maybe they should’ve two-moded a product that had a future. They had to know the Durango was dying — those outside Chrysler could surely tell. Why does the Tahoe Hybrid soldier on? I guess the non-HEV GMT900’s business case is better than the non-HEV Durango’s. Arlington Truck was never scheduled to close, but I have to think that plans were on the table to close Newark even as I snapped that pic of the mule in ‘07. Malignment. That’s the only word that can be used to describe the Durango HEV project.

Moot critique of the vehicle itself: the tachless IP’s hybrid info gage is probably the most useless needle-and-dial setup I’ve ever seen, and the throttle-by-wire calibration (that’s set to “stick” the throttle by up to a half-second before coasting in order to avert MPG-sapping accidental throttle lifts) is ridiculous at best and flatly dangerous at worst. I tried relaying my concerns to engineers at Chrysler twice — at 6 and 13 days into retail sale — but they were wholly disinterested in hearing any critique. When it died at 22 days old, I had to ask: the anger, the indignance… over a car that was DOA?

I’m a guest blogger; these views do not represent the views of SSL or its staff. :)

]]> By: ACR MAN http://www.speedsportlife.com/2008/12/05/last-stand-on-the-hill-burnin-down-the-house/comment-page-1/#comment-84485 ACR MAN Sat, 06 Dec 2008 08:36:16 +0000 http://www.speedsportlife.com/2008/12/05/last-stand-on-the-hill-burnin-down-the-house/#comment-84485 Your comment at 9:59 CDT "Chrysler’s only hybrid was off-sale after just 22 days on the market" was not entirely fair. The Durango & Aspen Hybrids are going out of production ONLY BECAUSE the non-hybrid Aspen & Durango do not sell, and they can't keep Newark assembly open just for the hybrids. Until 7 days ago, I was a Chrysler employee and I am intimately familiar with the hybrids. They are/were really great vehicles and they worked quite well. How about a 50% increase in city fuel economy vs the non-hybrid Hemi Aspen/Durango 4x4? That, and it is still a 7-passenger vehicle rated to tow up to 6,000 pounds. Try that with a Prius! Your comment at 9:59 CDT “Chrysler’s only hybrid was off-sale after just 22 days on the market” was not entirely fair. The Durango & Aspen Hybrids are going out of production ONLY BECAUSE the non-hybrid Aspen & Durango do not sell, and they can’t keep Newark assembly open just for the hybrids. Until 7 days ago, I was a Chrysler employee and I am intimately familiar with the hybrids. They are/were really great vehicles and they worked quite well. How about a 50% increase in city fuel economy vs the non-hybrid Hemi Aspen/Durango 4×4? That, and it is still a 7-passenger vehicle rated to tow up to 6,000 pounds. Try that with a Prius!

]]> By: Speed:Sport:Life » Last Stand on the Hill: Burnin’ Down the House | kozmom http://www.speedsportlife.com/2008/12/05/last-stand-on-the-hill-burnin-down-the-house/comment-page-1/#comment-84461 Speed:Sport:Life » Last Stand on the Hill: Burnin’ Down the House | kozmom Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:19:06 +0000 http://www.speedsportlife.com/2008/12/05/last-stand-on-the-hill-burnin-down-the-house/#comment-84461 [...] details: Speed:Sport:Life » Last Stand on the Hill: Burnin’ Down the House [...] [...] details: Speed:Sport:Life » Last Stand on the Hill: Burnin’ Down the House [...]

]]> By: Adam Barrera http://www.speedsportlife.com/2008/12/05/last-stand-on-the-hill-burnin-down-the-house/comment-page-1/#comment-84450 Adam Barrera Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:42:29 +0000 http://www.speedsportlife.com/2008/12/05/last-stand-on-the-hill-burnin-down-the-house/#comment-84450 Wait a minute... isn't *our* drinking game the official one? ;) Wait a minute… isn’t *our* drinking game the official one?

;)

]]> By: Byron Hurd http://www.speedsportlife.com/2008/12/05/last-stand-on-the-hill-burnin-down-the-house/comment-page-1/#comment-84449 Byron Hurd Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:27:23 +0000 http://www.speedsportlife.com/2008/12/05/last-stand-on-the-hill-burnin-down-the-house/#comment-84449 Wish I could watch, but I'm at work. Checking back constantly. Thanks for doing this! Wish I could watch, but I’m at work. Checking back constantly. Thanks for doing this!

]]> By: The Official Not-So-Big Three Congressional Hearing Drinking Game! [Carpocalypse Now] http://www.speedsportlife.com/2008/12/05/last-stand-on-the-hill-burnin-down-the-house/comment-page-1/#comment-84445 The Official Not-So-Big Three Congressional Hearing Drinking Game! [Carpocalypse Now] Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:14:32 +0000 http://www.speedsportlife.com/2008/12/05/last-stand-on-the-hill-burnin-down-the-house/#comment-84445 [...] for­ a ful­l­ l­ive-bl­og­, head­ on over­ to Speed­:Sport­:Life. They’v­e g­o­­t so­­me f­u­n stu­f­f­ [...] [...] for­ a ful­l­ l­ive-bl­og­, head­ on over­ to Speed­:Sport­:Life. They’v­e g­o­­t so­­me f­u­n stu­f­f­ [...]

]]> By: Camera Guy Phil http://www.speedsportlife.com/2008/12/05/last-stand-on-the-hill-burnin-down-the-house/comment-page-1/#comment-84442 Camera Guy Phil Fri, 05 Dec 2008 17:01:33 +0000 http://www.speedsportlife.com/2008/12/05/last-stand-on-the-hill-burnin-down-the-house/#comment-84442 oh iiiiii seeeeeeeee, this is pretty cool, i have a lot of reading to do. oh iiiiii seeeeeeeee, this is pretty cool, i have a lot of reading to do.

]]> By: The Economy » Blog Archive » Alternative Mba Application Showcase: Becky Blanton — Worldmegan http://www.speedsportlife.com/2008/12/05/last-stand-on-the-hill-burnin-down-the-house/comment-page-1/#comment-84438 The Economy » Blog Archive » Alternative Mba Application Showcase: Becky Blanton — Worldmegan Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:03:22 +0000 http://www.speedsportlife.com/2008/12/05/last-stand-on-the-hill-burnin-down-the-house/#comment-84438 [...] Speed:Sport:Life » Last Stand on the Hill: Burnin’ Down the House [...] [...] Speed:Sport:Life » Last Stand on the Hill: Burnin’ Down the House [...]

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