Dear drivers: It's called cruise control

Having jaunted up to Dallas-Fort Worth and now back for Thanksgiving, I find myself more frustrated than ever at the number of drivers that do not use cruise control. I get frustrated by the ones than drive 1-2mph faster than me, then 1-2 mph slower, forcing me to up my cruise 1-2 mph to pass them and stay past them. (This ignores those, whether out of Texas macho, or more generic macho, who then insist on passing me back again.)

On freeways outside of urban areas, left-lane lopers are the only species of bad driver, I think, that frustrates me more. And, if you need to have THAT phrase explained to you, you need to have your license revoked.

Back to the non-cruise users.

First, you're disrupting traffic flow. (You can step on your gas pedal to pass more quickly, whether on a freeway or a two-lane road, then go back to cruise control speed after completing your pass, you know.)

Second, using cruise control is probably the third most effective gas mileage enhancer a driver can do, after proper tire inflation and no jackrabbit starts/stops. Given modern engines, it surely ranks ahead of tune-ups, which aren't regularly needed anymore.

Cruise control technology continually improves. Even 15 years ago, automakers had reduced a lot of the "hunting" that cruise controls do with automatics, and how readily they do or do not downshift. Today, with more and more new cars coming with five-speed automatics, if and when they do downshift, it's more smoothly than ever before.

So, let's get with the program, folks.

BMW cop cars?

Well, at least a BMW engine and drive train, the same engine that's in the diesel version of the X5 SUV. Specs? 0-60 in 6.5 secs, top end of 150 mph and more. BMW isn't building the chassis; that's a custom company.

If you're a gearhead, especially if you're a gearhead worried about police pursuit or wondering if you can someday order a civilian version, read the details.

Driving while web surfing?

If this isn't driving while texting, on steroids, I don't know what is. And yes, it's shamefully irresponsible for companies like Ford and Audi to even consider introducing such hardware.

That said, in the EU, with its greater emphasis on communal responsibility and such, I'll bet Ford and Audi don't even consider doing this.

Cash for clunkers 4 – the un-greenness extends beyond cars

In a special news analysis story, Gwen Ottinger takes an environmentally skeptical look not only at the federal “cash for clunkers” program, but on similar state-level programs that encourage people to swap out old appliances for new ones.

The lowdown? They’re all great economic programs, but environmentally iffy at best.

For example, the “cash for clunkers”? Why is it limited to new cars? If my budget is tight, why can’t I swap my SUV for a 2-year-old Corolla? Answer: This is an automotive bailout program, at bottom line.

Second, with new appliances, let alone cars, the manufacturing costs aren’t cheap. Fiscally or environmentally.

Third, as the “cash for clunkers” program has allowed people to buy slightly more fuel-efficient new SUVs (and none of the stories so far report how the new sales have broken out by vehicle type), so, state appliance swap-outs have led to people buying ever-bigger refrigerators.

I’m just giving you a summary; read the full piece.

Cash for clunkers 3 – ‘green’ turns ‘un-green’

Here’s the crappiest part about “cash for clunkers,” and what truly exposes it as being an auto bailout sideshow and not an environmental program. The traded-in “clunkers” don’t even get recycled, they get killed instead. Oh, I suppose that some day, you could scrape that liquid glass off and recycle the steel, but right now, what a waste.

Cash for clunkers 2 – did it really make a difference?

The LA Times, quoting an Edmonds analyst, says, “not much.”

Automakers and dealers admit that the program is of marketing value even if cars don’t qualify. (If I were employed right now, I’d see if I could swap my 8-year-old Corolla out on a Prius, to be honest.) But, they also admit that the program brought in people who had money to buy, or almost buy, anyway. The car-buying pool may have been considerably shallowed after this rush.

On cash for clunker sales, it was clearly NOT formerly Big Three vehicles on the sales side of the equation. As for as vehicles bought, four of the top five are Japanese makes. So, any surge in former Big Three sales is due to other reasons, or the “cash for clunkers” as a marketing come-on.

Cash for clunkers 1 – ‘Big Three’ get half of sales

Is the fact that the formerly Big Three auto dealers scored pretty big so far on the cash for clunkers deal, with 47 percent of sales, a reflection that they were creating and selling a lot of the clunkers in the first place?

The trade-in side of the equation really shows the issue. The top 10 “cash for clunker” trade-ins are all formerly Big Three vehicles. As for as vehicles bought, four of the top five are Japanese makes, but three of the four are built either entirely in the U.S. or the U.S./Canada.

As for benefits, then, that means formerly Big Three auto sales were up due to other reasons.

Obama talks realism on auto industry

And, in Michigan, no less. And, he’s right — the jobs are gone. With the skill level needed to build today’s cars, if the American auto industry bounces back, American companies may not hire back old workers, and they certainly won’t hire illegals. Look for more robotics, with the possibility of Michigan creating some jobs in that area if its smart.

That said, Obama’s community college iniative, touted again might create some robotic maintenance-skilled people. It won’t create any new robotic engineers.

Detroit auto show - celebration or funeral?

No longhorn stampede through Not-so-Big D this year, whether the critters came from Big D or not. (That said, Big D should note that places in the sun aren't guaranteed.)

Besides what can't be afforded, this year's Detroit Auto Show also has plenty of no-shows.

Among dealers, the biggest no-show is Nissan, followed by Mitsubishi, Suzuki and several luxury and miche brands.

Among the cars, what's missing?

First, a final version of the Chevy Volt, or near to it, even as Toyota unveils the third generation of the Prius and Honda revives the Insight line with a Prius 2.0 knockoff. Read the story for a brief comparison of the two.

But, what's really missing is a diesel hybrid. After all, we now have low-cost clean diesels, courtesy of Volkswagen, and some higher-priced versions from other makers.

So, when is somebody going to marry diesels and hybrid drives, and as something more than a project car?

Auto industry crisis going global

German carmakers estimate they could lay off 100,000 employees. Sales are sagging, and the credit crunch is as bad in western Europe as here, so German makers can’t borrow to retool factories.

And, like American companies, the Germans fueled much of their sales growth in the first half of the decade by offering easy credit to customers. And, like here, they can’t do that now either.

Opel (German’s GM subsidiary), VW, Daimler and BMW are all seeking guaranteed loans from Berlin.

Read the full story for all the woes of the Euro auto industry.

EU pushes autos CO2 timeline back three years

European carmakers and sellers now have until 2015 to meet European Union emissions standards on carbon dioxide.

That sound you heard here in the U.S. was three years of pre-emptive foot-dragging by the formerly Big Three.

That said, the EU did add a more stringent Phase II target for 2020.

What’s cooking at the Paris Auto Show — hybrids

In terms of both real new models and designers’ and engineers’ dreams of planned concept cars, there’s plenty to see.

In terms of the real world, Kia has a new crossover, the Soul, that will be available as a hybrid. Mercedes is unveiling its first hybrid, with lithium batteries to boot. Toyota’s iQ is its response to the MINI. And, the Honda Insight 2.0 is on display.

In terms of concept cars, surely the MINI crossover will see the production light of day. And, even Europeans besides Mercedes are looking at hybrids.

Auto sales crater in March and worse to come

U.S. auto sales fell by double-digit percentages in March. And it wasn’t just the former Big Three. Even Toyota was off 10 percent. And we’re probably not done yet:

“I’d like to be able to tell you that the worst is behind us, but I really can't give you that assurance,” Jim Farley, Ford Motor Co.’s sales and marketing chief, said in a conference call with reporters and analysts. Farley said Ford is concerned the shrinking availability of consumer credit will continue to hurt sales and that the second quarter could be more difficult than the first.

It certainly will as far as profits are concerned.

All the automakers reporting their sales numbers said SUV/truck sales were off more than car sales, with gas prices the obvious culprit. As SUVs and pickups make up a bigger percentage of sales, and definitely of profits, for the Formerly Big Three than for Toyota or Honda, this news is indeed not encouraging.

With Chrysler taken private by Cerberus, we have no idea what it did, but given that, in the car division, two of its biggest sellers are the gas-guzzling 300 and Magnum, it’s probably hurting at least as bad as GM and Ford. Cerberus may have thought it was smart a year ago, but Daimler-Benz is probably wiping its brow in relief right now.

Speaking of Chrysler, it’s the first of the Big Three to elminate free life insurance for retirees.

Latest sign of pending recession?

Three top auto-industry investors, including Kirk Kerkorian, are predicting a 15-year low in U.S. auto sales next year. The most optimistic of the three said sales might “only” slump to 1998 levels rather than 1993.

If oil stays anywhere above $80/bbl, let alone $90, I’m guessing almost all the bleeding would come from the trio of companies once known as the “Big Three,” rather than Japanese companies.