You Are What You Drive: 2012 Presidential Candidate Edition

If you have all been following the 2012 presidential race as closely as I have, you may sometimes wonder: if the Democratic and Republican candidates were civilians, what car would they choose? Suppose they were able to pick any car they want - including non-American-made cars - and actually have the pleasure of driving themselves. This post goes to the very heart of this blog - I will attempt to hypothetically match candidates with cars that share similar attributes. Because as I always say, you are what you drive. Click through for the analysis.

President Barack Obama

Volvo XC60

President Barack Obama
First Place: Volvo XC60
Runner Up: Buick Enclave

Let's start off with the only Democratic candidate, President Obama. Of course, in real life, he was known to drive a Chrysler 300, but any public figure running for office has to drive American. Removing that constraint, I could see the President driving a Volvo XC60. I would have said Saab 9-5, but given Saab's bankruptcy, Volvo makes most sense. President Obama is an intellectual, calm, thoughtful person - not flashy. He needs enough room to drive around his wife and 2 children, so he needs something with enough room. I could see him driving an SUV more so than a minivan. The Volvo XC60 clearly fits the bill here.

Mitt Romney

Audi A8

Mitt Romney
First Place: Audi A8
Runner Up: Mercedes-Benz S500

Moving onto the Republicans: The presumptive nominee Mitt Romney is worth hundreds of millions of dollars. While campaigning in Detroit, Romney slipped up and said that his wife Ann "drives a couple of Cadillacs" and that he has driven a slew of American cars and trucks. Of course, he said that to try to gain Michigan's support. If he were a civilian, I could see him driving an Audi A8. For all his wealth, Mitt Romney does not seem like a showy guy; he appears to be a smart, hard-working family-oriented guy. The Audi A8 is the perfect car for an executive who wants all the comfort and speed of a high-end luxury car, but wants to blend into the crowd. It is very easy to overlook an A8 or mistake one for an A6.

Rick Santorum

Toyota Sienna

Rick Santorum
First Place: Toyota Sienna
Runner Up: Toyota Camry

Rick Santorum, who recently dropped out of the race, was best known for campaigning in Iowa driving a Ram pickup truck. He wanted the blue-collar, hard-working American, salt-of-the-earth image, and frankly, I think he achieved it. However, in actuality, I see him as more of a minivan guy. He is highly concerned with family values, and does not seem to be a very exciting guy (I could never in a million years see him driving a Ferrari, let alone a Miata, even though he probably could afford one). Santorum has a pretty large family of his own, so I think the Sienna makes logical sense. The Honda Odyssey has too much pizzazz to make a good fit here.

Newt Gingrich

Cadillac DTS

Newt Gingrich
First Place: Cadillac DTS
Runner Up: Lincoln Town Car

Newt Gingrich has an "old money" feel to him. I could see him driving a fully loaded dark red Cadillac DTS with gold emblems and a tan landau top. Nothing too technical or convoluted - no fancy navigation screens or night vision. Unfortunately, the DTS is not the most fuel efficient car on the road, which would go against his vision for $2.50 gas prices, but then again, that was a campaign gimmick, right? He'd better hurry up, because the DTS will go out of production pretty soon...

Ron Paul

Chevy Silverado

Ron Paul
First Place: Chevy Silverado
Runner Up: A 10- or 15-year old Toyota Camry

Of all the candidates, Ron Paul is probably the most unassuming, and least concerned with prestige and image. Simply put, Ron Paul has a strong message and is dedicated to gaining support for his cause. Everything else is secondary to that. He evidently lives in a modest house in Texas, and likewise, I could not see him driving a flashy car. The Chevy Silverado fits the bill here - it is a no-nonsense workhorse with plenty of room to haul campaign signs and flyers.

Jon Huntsman

Fisker Karma

Jon Huntsman
First Place: Fisker Karma
Runner Up: BMW M5

"The other Morman" formerly in the race, Jon Huntsman, seems a little less up-tight than Romney. I could easily see him driving a flashy car or a sports car. As the son of a chemical tycoon, Huntsman likely has an interest in technology and sciences, and would appreciate the tour de force that is the Fisker Karma. It is environmentally responsible too. I would have picked a Chinese car for Huntsman, but at this stage, I doubt he would want to drive any of them.

Rick Perry

Ford F-150 Harley Davidson Edition

Rick Perry
First Place: Ford F-150 Harley Davidson Edition
Runner Up: Ford SVT Raptor

Rick Perry exudes the macho image, similar to that of George W. Bush. He is a Texan at heart, and I picture him using a Ford F-150 to round up cattle, drive to the oil refinery in the desert, and go on an off-road hunting expedition. Whether or not he actually does these things, who knows. I am not trying to stereotype Texans, but it is hard not to have this image of Rick Perry.

Michele Bachmann

Lexus RX350

Michele Bachmann
First Place: Lexus RX350
Runner Up: Mercedes-Benz ML550

When I think of Bachmann, the Lexus RX350 immediately comes to mind. It is the quintessential SUV for the strong, successful, well-off working mother. Michele and her husband have taken in a number of foster children, so she would need enough space to haul kids to school, sports, music lessons, etc.

Herman Cain

Cadillac Escalade

Herman Cain
First Place: Cadillac Escalade
Runner Up: Infiniti QX

Herman Cain is a successful businessman, has a strong sense of humor, and probably likes to have fun. The Escalade is the perfect fit for Mr. Cain - it is big, flashy, and luxurious. And there is plenty of room to store pizzas in the back!

Why does GM need GMC and Chevy Trucks?

GMC Yukon

In GM's recent government-forced purge of unnecessary brands (Pontiac, Hummer, Saab, Saturn, not to mention Oldsmobile a few years ago), I am very surprised GMC survived. For as long as I can remember, GMC has been an unimaginative rebadging of Chevy trucks. GM's rationale has always been that it makes sense for volume and distribution: there are Chevy / Cadillac dealers and Buick / GMC dealers. Why not turn Buick / GMC dealers into Chevy / Cadillac dealers? As an aside, I love Buick's new designs, but I still don't see where they fit in the GM product strategy, as they overlap with Chevy's top-of-the-line cars and Cadillac's low-end cars. And GMC trucks barely have any differentiating factors from their Chevy counterparts, yet GM has 2 separate ad campaigns that could easily be consolidated. Recent efforts to retool shared platforms to give GMC an identity have been lukewarm at best (e.g., Terrain). Click through for the rest of the discussion:

GMC Suburban

Chevy Suburban

Since practically the beginning of time (!) GM offered the Suburban under the Chevy and GMC brand. They didn't even bother to change the name! That's how lazy their rebranding efforts were. In 2000, they switched GMC's name to Yukon, but otherwise the SUVs are still nearly identical. Besides dealership location convenience (e.g., the GMC dealer is closer to a customer's house than the Chevy dealer), I can't understand why someone would be attracted to one brand over the other.

GMC Typhoon

GMC Syclone

In the early '90s, GMC came out with high-performance turbocharged versions of the Chevy Blazer / GMC Jimmy and Chevy S-10 / GMC Sonoma called the GMC Typhoon and Syclone, respectively. Back in the day, both cars' acceleration stats were compared to Porsches and Ferraris - now that's a cool value proposition. Both models were very limited in production, and GM should consider doing something like this today...a high performance tricked out version of the GMC Canyon or Acadia to compete with the likes of the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 or now dead Chevy Trailblazer SS.

GMC Terrain

Chevy Equinox

I really have to applaud GM for trying to differentiate their latest rebranding efforts for the Equinox. The Terrain (as well as the Cadillac SRX) look nothing like the Equinox. When GM tried to directly port over the last-gen Equinox to the Pontiac Torrent, things didn't work out so well...and I'm sure did not help the brand's viability in its final days. But I digress. The Terrain, while a noble attempt to differentiate GMC's otherwise clone-like brand, is quite ugly (matter of opinion) compared to relatively attractive Equinox. The Cadillac SRX beats both of them. It looks like GMC tried to go after the Jeep / Hummer demographic looking for a boxy, rugged design. However, you can tell that the designers were bound by certain rigid parameters set by the Equinox platform, and certain angles of the Terrain look odd, such as the flared wheel arches, which I feel should flare out more; the grille, which is too toothy (reminds me of the ugly Pontiac G6 GXP schnozz). While I really like the back end, it looks like they copied the Jeep Grand Cherokee / Dodge Durango. And the interior - while very attractive - is identical to the GMC and Cadillac (extra shame on you Cadillac...NO excuse).

GMC Yukon Hybrid

The fact that GMC offers the Yukon Hybrid is irrelevant for a couple of reasons - 1) Chevy and Cadillac also offer it through the Tahoe/Suburban and Escalade and 2) the bump in fuel efficiency is insignificant compared to the higher price.

GMC Granite Concept

What is my recommendation? I believe GM has a number of options, some more compelling than others. The first one is the most likely outcome, and that is to change nothing - the brand is relatively easy to market, development is likely part of the Chevy cost center, and it is probably a steady cash cow for GM. If GM wanted to get more creative, here are a couple other strategies: 1) turn GMC into a light truck company. I'm usually unimpressed by concept cars, but this Granite Concept from last year is pretty intriguing - why not create a series of ultra-fuel efficient small SUVs that are nimble in the city and rugged off road. 2) go the complete opposite direction and pump up the ruggedness of the brand, positioning GMC as a premium off-road SUV to compete head on with Land Rover, Ford Raptor, and fill the spot now left by Hummer. The Hummer brand was synonymous with anti-environmentalism, but the demand was fairly high pre-recession. I bet a reincarnated Hummer-like GMC brand would fare well in today's market. If either of these strategies fail, they could always go back to cloning Chevys...

Favorite Car Lists #3: Coupes/Convertibles

Mercedes SLS AMG

It has been awhile, but it's time for the third installment of my favorite car lists - this time, coupes and convertibles (basically, anything with 2-3 doors). Click through to see - do you agree with my lists?




If I had $30,000 to spend on a coupe/convertible, I would buy:
1. Volkswagen GTI
2. Dodge Challenger
3. Mini Cooper S
4. Chevrolet Camaro
5. Volkswagen Beetle

If I had $60,000 to spend on a coupe/convertible, I would buy:
1. Mercedes E350 Coupe
2. Mercedes C350 Coupe
3. Audi S5
4. Cadillac CTS Coupe
5. BMW M3 Coupe

If I had $100,000 to spend on a coupe/convertible, I would buy:
1. Porsche 911 Targa 4
2. Mercedes C63 AMG Coupe
3. Jaguar XKR
4. Cadillac CTS-V Coupe
5. Mercedes E350 Coupe

If I had $200,000 to spend on a coupe/convertible, I would buy:
1. Mercedes SLS AMG
2. Aston Martin V12 Vantage
3. Audi R8
4. Maserati Gran Turismo S
5. Porsche 911 Turbo S

If money was not an object, I would buy the following coupes/convertibles:
1. Bugatti Veyron
2. Mercedes SLS AMG
3. Lamborghini Aventador
4. Lexus LFA
5. Aston Martin One-77
Honorable Mention: Ferrari 458 Italia, McLaren MP4-12C

Why does Suzuki still sell cars in the US?

Suzuki Equator

I like to think that I keep up with the car industry, but I had NO idea Suzuki sold the Equator pickup...let alone the fact that they have been selling the truck since 2009! I have never EVER seen one on the road. This lazy excuse of a Nissan Frontier rebadge is exactly why Suzuki has had trouble gaining traction in the US in the last 20 years. Most of Suzuki's cars have been sourced from other automakers, notably through its partnership with GM/Daewoo. Unless it changes its strategy, I give the Suzuki US brand another 5-10 years before going the way of Isuzu -- that is, extinct. Click through to read why...

Suzuki Swift

Let's start by discussing Suzuki's smallest offering, the Swift, which is not sold in the US, but should be. For all intents and purposes, this is a perfectly competent car: reasonably attractive, sporty, and has competitive interior materials. Suzuki has likely resisted bringing the latest-gen Swift to the states for a few reasons: 1) an inability to effectively market its brand, 2) historically soft subcompact sales in the US (until recently) and 3) the troubled past of the Swift name. When I think of the Swift, I instantly think of the lazily rebadged Geo/Chevy Metro, one of the ugliest, most pointless subcompacts ever to hit US dealerships...

Second-gen Suzuki Swift (aka Geo Metro)

Does this picture ring a bell? None of these cars have held up over time, including this ripe example.  The new Swift is not rebadged at all, but Suzuki would need to change the name to give the car a fresh start.

Suzuki SX4 / Liana

The SX4, formerly known as the Aerio, is also known as the Liana in other parts of the world. This car was co-developed by Fiat and was designed by Italdesign Guigiaro, so it definitely has the right ingredients for a winning design. The SX4 also has had a successful run in the rally circuit. In addition, over the last 10 years, the Liana/SX4 has been featured in Top Gear as the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car both in the UK and US. Despite all this, I rarely see SX4s on the road, which I believe is the result of weak consumer marketing. Buyers of cheap compacts cars aren't necessarily watching Top Gear and WRC races. I also don't like the odd piece of glass between the A-pillar and door frame, which makes the car look cheap.

Suzuki Forenza

The now-defunct Forenza sedan / Reno hatchback, also designed by Italdesign, is a pair of reasonably attractive cars also sold under a plethora of names around the world, ranging from the Chevy Lacetti (as seen in the UK Top Gear), Holden Viva in Australia, Buick Excelle, Daewoo Nubira, and a variety of other names. After Daewoo left the US as an independent brand, its parent GM decided to pump their econoboxes through every partner and sub-brand possible, and the US got the Suzuki Forenza. At the end of the day, poor marketing killed the success of this bland yet competent car.

Suzuki Verona

The Verona, also now defunct, was another forgettable Italdesigned GM/Daewoo concoction, competent but not relevant enough to compete with the Camry, Accord, etc. If GM felt so highly about this design, wouldn't they have used it in place of their Malibu / Impala? The truth is, they didn't, so they gave the Verona to Suzuki to sell. Its success was miserable.

Suzuki Kizashi

Starting to see a trend? The Kizashi is Suzuki's replacement for the unmemorable Verona. It consistently performs well in comparison tests, but you see none on the road because of lack of marketing (and probably because of that ugly Lincoln Continental-style hump on the trunklid...ugly!). The front end, side profiles, and interior of the car are attractive, but I don't anticipate this car being successful enough to make a compelling business case in the US.

Suzuki Grand Vitara

Suzuki has historically seen success in the SUV market, and this is where they should continue to focus their efforts. The Grand Vitara (and the larger and slightly uglier XL7) is based on the Chevy Equinox platform, but is altered enough so as to mask the part-sharing. This is the one Suzuki you DO see on the road because it is consistent with the company's heritage. The Vitara is the modern-day replacement for the Sidekick, which was very successful in the US, along with its rebadged sister, the Chevy/Geo Tracker.

Suzuki Sidekick

I can't say the Sidekick has held up very well over the years, but at its time, it held a dominating position in the small, fun SUV category - a more refined alternative to the Jeep Wrangler. The convertible top (now absent from the Vitara) was an appealing feature for young buyers.

So, my advice for Suzuki? Marketing is not your forte, so stop selling cars no one knows about or cares about. Scale down your partnership with GM/Daewoo, which isn't helping you. Focus on the small SUV market where you actually have brand equity, and actually create something innovative people WANT to drive. Otherwise, you will always be an also-ran, no matter who you get to design your cars (ahem...Italdesign). Selling a poorly rebadged Nissan Frontier does not fool buyers, just as selling a rebadged Dodge Dakota did not fare well with Mitsubishi.

Volvo S40 review...an interesting, yet odd car

A few months ago, Volvo announced that the S40 sedan and V50 wagon will soon be discontinued. After I had a chance to flog a Zipcar S40 this weekend, I understand why...sort of. The S40 has a number of lovable quirks, but I don't think it ever found its place amongst the sea of other entry luxury sedans. Click through to see my impressions.

The S40 never competed with the serious contenders -- the C-Class, 3-Series, A4, IS, G, TL, and CTS -- but it never intended to. It is priced in the mid-to-high $20ks, well below the aforementioned competitors, and in part due to its smaller size, the S40 finds itself competing with entry-entry-luxury sedans, like the Saab 9-3, Acura TSX, and Audi A3. Buyers in this range want a sporty European sedan without the high price point. The Chrysler 300, Buick Regal, Dodge Charger are larger yet attractive, luxurious American alternatives, but don't likely raise the pulse of a prospective S40 buyer. A top-of-the-line Toyota Camry, Hyundai Sonata, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, or Chevy Malibu may have some of the creature comforts the S40 buyer is looking for, but are probably way too boring. Volvo is a respectable name associated with safety, and the S40 has an intelligent, attractive Swedish-looking design, inside and out. The S40 is largely unchanged since its redesign in 2004, but it still looks fantastic on the road. When you tell your co-workers that you drive a Volvo, you will appear to have good taste in a humble manner.

So, I get the competitive positioning, but how is the car to drive? Unfortunately, it's a mixed bag. The biggest disappointment was the car's acceleration. The only engine available is a 227hp 5-cylinder turbocharged engine, but I felt like the S40 only had 2 speeds: low and low/medium. If I wanted to go fast, mashing the gas pedal to the ground would produce the same predetermined-feeling acceleration trajectory as if I was to step on the pedal halfway. I don't think my lack of excitement is caused by general turbo lag. In comparison, I felt like the turbocharged Audi A3 was ready for blast-off at my beck and call. The various turbo Saabs I've driven (yes, including my '92 9000!) were peppier than the S40. One positive aspect of the engine: its sound. The 5-cylinder has a pleasing purring sound, quite similar to the VW Golf's 5-cylinder engine.

The S40 has a decidedly Swedish-looking interior. Some people don't love it, but I think the thin center console is really attractive and practical, since you can store things behind it. The Zipcar model I drove had fake plastic looking metallic trim, and would look much better with the optional wood grain pattern. Compared to the A3, the radio and dashboard gauges look ancient...a reminder that the car hasn't had a meaningful update since 2004. However, all of the basic ingredients of an entry-luxury sedan interior are there: leather seats, in-dash phone, premium audio, sunroof, power and heated seats, automatic climate control, etc. The seats are very ergonomic and great for long trips.

Don't mind my leg in the picture :)

This weekend I had to buy a coffee table and area rug at Ikea. The Ford Escape or Toyota Tacoma may have been more practical, but I really wanted to drive a Swedish car to Ikea (now I can cross that off my bucket list). The coffee table was packaged (unassembled, of course) in a thin but wide box (55" x 31" x 3") and the store clerk worried that it may not fit in a standard sized sedan. However, the rear seats folded down easily and the large box and long rug surprisingly fit in the trunk quite nicely. Major +1 in my book.

Plenty o' room for cargo!

To summarize, would I buy this car if I was in the market? Probably not - the Audi A3 would win without question. However, the S40 would probably win my money over the Saab 9-3. While Volvo strategically sends the S40 to its grave, the entire Saab brand is on the brink of extinction.

Here are the pros and cons of the S40:

Pros:

• Looks fantastic inside and out
• Ample room for large objects
• Decent brand prestige
• Good value for the money - premium features for an entry-entry luxury price

Cons:

• Sluggish engine
• "Aluminum" trim looks and feels cheap
• Outdated audio / entertainment interface

Ugly door handles can RUIN a car

BMW Z4

Door handles, while small and seemingly unnoticeable, are a crucial part of car design. In my opinion, European-style handles (think Mercedes) are most attractive, and have made their way onto most cars by now. However, quite a few car designs have been harmed by ugly door handles, like this BMW Z4. This awkward looking coupe/convertible could've been slightly improved with the handles seen on any other car in BMW's lineup. Click through to see some more examples:

#1: The dreaded 90s-00s GM door handle

Corvette C5 Z06

Look carefully at the door handle of this Corvette Z06, and compare to the pictures below. As mentioned in my previous post, this is a major reason why the C5 will lose appeal over time:

Buick LeSabre

Oldsmobile Intrigue

Pontiac Grand Prix

Chevy Malibu

There are even more (Impala, Aurora, Monte Carlo, Cutlass, Bonneville, Century, Regal, etc.), but need I continue? The fact that this ubiquitous door handle made its way to the Corvette disgusts me.

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#2: The Toyota Camry door handle

1991-1996 Toyota Camry

1996-2001 Toyota Camry

The Toyota Camry is the world's most uninspiring car. It is popular because it has excellent reliability and build quality - not because it looks good, because it doesn't. Notice that Toyota carried over the same bland door handle across 2 generations of Camrys, as well on many other cars in its lineup, ruining them as well.

Toyota Celica

Toyota MR2

Lexus LS

Lexus ES

Toyota Avalon

Toyota Corolla

Toyota Solara

Toyota 4Runner

Toyota Supra

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 #3: Nissan's hideaway SUV rear door handles

Nissan X-Terra

A sporty 2-door SUV can be pretty cool (think Land Rover Defender, Evoque, Jeep Wrangler, Hummer H1, Isuzu Amigo, Ford Bronco), but lack the functionality and space that a 4-door SUV provides. In an attempt to achieve the best of both worlds, some car companies - especially Nissan - have moved the rear door handle to the C-pillar to achieve the look of a 2-door SUV. However, I think this is really ugly and impractical - I am not tricked by this trompe l'oeil at all. And, by the way, it must be difficult for children to reach that high, which is counterintuitive given that children typically sit in the backseat. Aside from the Nissan X-Terra pictured above, here are a few more examples:

Nissan Pathfinder / Infiniti QX4

Nissan Armada / Infiniti QX56

Nissan Juke

The designers must have thought...could we make this any uglier? Yes! Let's add weird door handles to the rear doors!

Jeep Compass

 What a disaster the Jeep Compass is. The Nissan-like rear door handles add to the car's confusing mess of a design.

Honda Element

The Element's rear door handles are not as bad given how small the back doors are.

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#4: Miscellaneous Examples:

Renault Twingo

If you travel to any European country, you are bound to see many Renault Twingos on the road. Unlike Americans, Europeans love small, economical hatchbacks, and the Twingo definitely fits the bill. However, the styling is too cutesy for my tastes, and the round door handles do not help.

Audi A3

Everyone knows I'm a HUGE Audi A3 fan. However, if I have 1 gripe, it is the outdated door handles: why hasn't Audi put the same handles on the A3 as on the rest of the lineup?

Ford Thunderbird

The Thunderbird remake had a lot going for it, but always fell short in my eyes. Imagine how much sleeker this car would look with the European-style handles seen on all of Ford's models today...

Mazda 626

The Mazda 626 actually gives the Toyota Camry a run for its money on the most boring car ever made. The 626 has absolutely no style, except for its ugly, overstyled door handles, which make me not want to get inside this car even more. There is an extra crease in the door handle that just should not be there. It is subtle, so you may need to enlarge this picture to see what I'm talking about...

Honda CR-Z

I understand that Honda wants to be edgy, but the CR-Z's door handles are weird looking and do not look easy to open. Traditional handles may have looked sleeker.

Nissan Micra

Fortunately not sold in the states, the last-gen Micra looked like it was frowning from the side-profile. This frumpy design actually may have been improved with a more traditional kind of door handle.

Pontiac Trans Sport / Chevy Lumina / Oldsmobile Silhouette

Yikes! In its day, this minivan looked futuristic, but its design certainly has not stood the test of time. The door handles are quite avant-garde, something the already bonkers design did not need.

Porsche 911 996

Why not end with a bombshell - for first time in Porsche's history, the Porsche 911 996 and first-gen Boxster moved away from traditional door handles to the ones pictured above. For that reason alone, I do not like either model when I see them on the road. Everything else about the 996 and Boxster is beautiful, but the door handles impair the designs to such an extent that I would never buy either car. Fortunately, Porsche reinstated its old traditional door handles in the 997, 991, and refreshed Boxster.