Archives for February 2006

For as long as I can remember, conventional wisdom has had the car industry making sure the best 2 tires are on the front of any vehicle that is in for service. This weekend, I had to think twice about my beliefs after reading a column by John Mahler in The Star’s Wheels section.

The belief has always been that most driver’s are safer with the best tires on the front, as that ensures that they will have the most control of their steering. Mahler however points out that there is more to the equation than front end grip. He reminds us that todays vehicles are designed to keep their occupants safe in a straight, frontal collision. Also, when a vehicle is braking hard, weight is transferred away from the rear tires, which lessens grip. This combination creates a vehicle which is more likely to spin in an emergency situation. Given that most vehicles are designed to hit things straight on, not sideways or backwards, it makes sense that you don’t want a vehicle that spins too easily. Having more traction in the rear will create an understeer (pushing) condition, which in effect ensures that an out of control vehicle is more likely to hit it’s target straight on.

Years of advice thrown right out the window! It just shows that no matter how long you work in your chosen industry, you can still learn something. Thanks John.

So VIP night at the Canadian International Autoshow has come and gone. First off, I think I was probably the only service type in the whole Rogers Center, surrounded by suited sales & industry guys. Overall, it was a bit of a let down really. I did make a few observations though:

Import booths vs. Domestic booths
The import booths were generally pretty mellow, with the Volvo & VW booths being very staid as one would expect. The Chrysler booth on the other hand was full of loud, obnoxious salesmen & drunk women falling out of their dresses. Not that there is anything wrong with spilling out of your dress, but it was a very different view over there!

Kia Booth
Was more or less empty all night. Either someone forgot to invite their dealer body, or Kia dealers can’t afford the $160 complimentary(!!!) passes.

Lotus Elise
I must be beginning to sound like a broken record on this one, but I LOVE this car! Last night was the first time I’ve laid eyes on the car in person and I just couldn’t take my eyes off the British Racing Green model with the hard top. It has been many, many years since I’ve been at a show and just stood and stared at one car. The guy in the booth told me that they are working on getting the Exige certified for Canada also.

Nissan Booth
While the current show booth is getting a little long in the tooth, Nissan had 2 of the upcoming cars that are showing the way that Nissan is hoping to go. The upcoming Versa hatchback is a stunning little car. A lot has been said about the interior space and it is indeed impressive, but what struck me was the level of trim applied to the dash. The dash & door panels look like they’ve shrunken a Maxima and I think that is good thing. The 2007 Sentra looks great also, finally they seem to have a grasp on style for this small car.

Dealers wives
I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much plastic surgery & silicone in one place. Usually that might be considered a good thing, but when it applies to 55 year old women who’ve spent too much time in the sun…. well, you get the picture!