VFacts November 2023

[anobserver]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

I can remember when the only people who drove with lights on during the day were Seventh Day Adventists or part of a funeral procession.

And Volvo drivers. I think it was wired in as a safety feature. Not so much for them, but the rest of us...

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by anobserver

And Volvo drivers. I think it was wired in as a safety feature. Not so much for them, but the rest of us...

Subaru drivers are the new Volvo drivers

[Sprintey]

Originally Posted by vztrt

Went for the grey (wife wanted that colour, also hates red cars). I liked the blue better. Wasn't that big of a fan of thier red. But looks wise I do like the car. There seems to be a couple running around in my area and you can tell it's not a regular style Mazda.

Engine is good. Nice acceleration. Would be great if you could option the CX90 tune. It is more refined then the territory (you would hope so). It's also put together better than most cars (but I've always been impressed with Mazda build quality). The engine sounds alright. I think my G6E turbo sounded better. But one thing that I could complain about is that it is too refined. At least with the old turbo you knew you were moving and I could tell speed of the car better (which is important in cotton wool Victoria). With the CX60 you need to make sure you know your speed as you can get in trouble.

Some things to keep in mind in regards to the vehicle. Servicing looks like it's expensive (plug change after 4 years), but insurance (at least for my wife and I) was the same as my turbo. Fuel usage seems good (compared to the Falcon and Territory). The Mazda entertainment system is very good. I prefer it over the Android auto. I like that they kept the buttons on the dash as opposed to dumping it in the screen and the navigation wheel is easy to master. Also you need to have the engine running to operate the windows....that is actually bad engineering....and annoying having to re-start the car.

It's early days but the car didn't give the feeling of (this is rubbish to drive compared to me old Falcons or Territory). Only the Aussie Commodores were like this.



I like this idea. I suspect many will get concussion. But most of it is just **** to me. It seems like real safety features are done (abs, esp) and now they just reward people who don't pay attention when driving). I like the 360 camera, it's helpful with new cars as they make it harder to see out of.

Thanks once more. A question, are these safety features disabled by a button or switch on the dash, or through the menus? For example in the Outback we looked at, it was menu, then a sub menu, then another submenu, then select. Enough to drive you wild each time you start the car. (Also, X mode is activated through the screen so if the screen goes kaput in the future, no X mode for you!)

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by anobserver

And Volvo drivers. I think it was wired in as a safety feature. Not so much for them, but the rest of us...

Long way ahead of everyone else.
Yes, but only the parkers were wired to remain on the whole time.
Uncle bought a new 144 in 1972.
The other odd thing it had was a annoying seatbelt buzzer and light which would stay lit if you chose not to wear it and those funky ladder looking headrests.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

Thanks once more. A question, are these safety features disabled by a button or switch on the dash, or through the menus? For example in the Outback we looked at, it was menu, then a sub menu, then another submenu, then select. Enough to drive you wild each time you start the car. (Also, X mode is activated through the screen so if the screen goes kaput in the future, no X mode for you!)

There is a button. But I use the centre screen as I kill the ACC radar as well. Pretty much in the main menu so no chasing. The 'driving modes' have a button next to the shifter. It's nothing special (like performance mode in the Falcons).
The cluster is a digital screen as well.

Oh the shifter in this thing is interesting. It's not a rotary dial but it's not a strait PRNDL. Personally don't understand why car manufacturers keep trying to reinvent this, I get the rotary dial is a cost save...but a regular auto stick, just keep it the same and make sure the materials last the distance.

[prydey]

Love the rotary dial. Much neater and more ergonomic for the interior space, usage in my opinion.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by prydey

Love the rotary dial. Much neater and more ergonomic for the interior space, usage in my opinion.

I like rotary dials as well, the key to that is because they maintain a defined detent or position location. It's the stupid stubby levers that have no defined detent and work as a toggle that annoy me., ie Volvo, BMW, even the high-end Rangers.

[Dr Smith]

Originally Posted by prydey

Love the rotary dial. Much neater and more ergonomic for the interior space, usage in my opinion.

I think one step better is the column mounted shifter on the steering wheel column...daughter has a Focus SA and one of my vans is a Vito and flicking into drive or reverse without moving your hand from the steering wheel just seems so much easier and your eyes never have to look down to find/turn the dial. I noticed the new Transit Custom has also moved to a column stalk for the auto models.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Dr Smith

I think one step better is the column mounted shifter on the steering wheel column...daughter has a Focus SA and one of my vans is a Vito and flicking into drive or reverse without moving your hand from the steering wheel just seems so much easier and your eyes never have to look down to find/turn the dial. I noticed the new Transit Custom has also moved to a column stalk for the auto models.

You get used to it pretty quick. I only occasionally drive our Escape and don't have to look at the dial to change gears. It's 4 positions. PRND. Not hard to remember and the rotary dial is notched so feel is quite good. Probably easier to do than in my territory.

[FTE217]

huh and I was just with someone yesterday who got their new Genisis GV70 on the base's he hates the column shift in the corresponding MB's he looked into.
Its getting pretty petty about changing gears from the centre consol.
Christ what next

[Big_Daz]

Originally Posted by prydey

Love the rotary dial. Much neater and more ergonomic for the interior space, usage in my opinion.

Yes, our Sorento has the dial. Before I drove one I thought it would be crap, but now I think its the best way.

Ours is simple, Left for R, Right for D (and springs Back to the middle which is N) with P as a button on top of it. Plus the dial is made from knurled metal (assume Aluminium maybe??) which feels nice to the touch.

Some Hyundai use buttons only (Santa Fe, Tuscon) which are a pain in the a## but they are moving to a stalk on the right side of steering column for new releases...

But for me, my SS is still the best.. Manual baby!!!! :-D

[Sprintey]

Bump to thread: here comes a bit more supply chain disruption:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-...idor/103244628

[Sprintey]

US car market: on edge of big price falls, inventories building up, 0% interest deals and incentives, EVs not selling. Also: very large insurance hikes for owners because.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9GQYli7qis

Edit: and a used view

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IbAm9igkh0

[Sprintey]

And further, this smart young dealer's report on the US Truck market which seems to have stalled

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8VnK6cI8pU

[b0son]

70% price increase in 4 years?! At least the Americans seem to be voting with their wallets, here, we'd just suck it up.

[Sprintey]

They also abandon their cars when they go underwater or can't make the payments.

It's staggering to think that after NINJA home loans and the GFC, we could see the US about to exactly repeat the process, using cars this time.

This fellow has a very intelligent interpretation about what is about to go on in the US car loan world:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU9XIWnPh3M

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by b0son

70% price increase in 4 years?! At least the Americans seem to be voting with their wallets, here, we'd just suck it up.

Originally Posted by Sprintey

They also abandon their cars when they go underwater or can't make the payments.

It's staggering to think that after NINJA home loans and the GFC, we could see the US about to exactly repeat the process, using cars this time.

This fellow has a very intelligent interpretation about what is about to go on in the US car loan world:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU9XIWnPh3M

I kind of think that things are a lot different to the GFC when housing and the stock market were in real trouble.
Sure the Americans are running into trouble with high priced vehicles but it’s not a uniform thing across the industry.


All of the below comments are regarding the US, not Australian car market:

One of the main differences is there’s low unemployment but people probably not making the wisest choices
with their purchases- those maxing out credit cards and getting easy finance are the ones under the most stress..

What’s hard to see in new vehicle sales figures is the difference between recent restricted supply situation and now
where buyers are definitely pulling back as the market cools. Lower inflation in the US plus promise of three rate cuts
has really lifted the stock market in recent days - some predictions of impending doom may be abating

[Sprintey]

Also the Fed template may follow the SIVB episode, so they patch up any lenders who are in trouble, the car market in US might be sour, but everything else rolls on and Powell continues the QT for a while more - just like last year.

[ToryMikey]

Originally Posted by jpd80

I kind of think that things are a lot different to the GFC when housing and the stock market were in real trouble.
Sure the Americans are running into trouble with high priced vehicles but it’s not a uniform thing across the industry.


All of the below comments are regarding the US, not Australian car market:

One of the main differences is there’s low unemployment but people probably not making the wisest choices
with their purchases- those maxing out credit cards and getting easy finance are the ones under the most stress..

What’s hard to see in new vehicle sales figures is the difference between recent restricted supply situation and now
where buyers are definitely pulling back as the market cools. Lower inflation in the US plus promise of three rate cuts
has really lifted the stock market in recent days - some predictions of impending doom may be abating

The major difference between USA and Aus in both car and housing loans is the ease of obtaining them.

Bad credit car loans are almost a meme in US culture. Here in Aus, application processes are stringent. We don't have a Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac here, never have, and we can't just walk away from our cars or homes if we can't make payments.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by ToryMikey

The major difference between USA and Aus in both car and housing loans is the ease of obtaining them.

Bad credit car loans are almost a meme in US culture. Here in Aus, application processes are stringent. We don't have a Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac here, never have, and we can't just walk away from our cars or homes if we can't make payments.

More correctly, the process of repossession is more difficult in our country which is why
banks tend to work with people rather than take possession of vehicles, that’s normally last resort.

Thing to understand is that in a country of 330 million odd, there’s going to be a percentage
of the population who are financially irresponsible and live up to every last penny they earn.

You are quite right, our market and lenders are way more conservative, ask more “what ifs”.
The only people crying at the moment are car dealers who see profits receding as used vehicles
start coming back to more reasonable prices……house loans concerns me more but promise of
multiple interest rate drops in 2024 is obviously keeping the market buoyant…for now.