POLL - Do you want the EV (MY24+ Dodge Charger Daytona Banshee) offering from Dodge SRT???

[BULL]

I spent my career in product engineering and manufacturing and I must have heard people tell me 1000 times in the last 50 years that manufacturers design their products to fail so they will be able to sell them a new one, they called it Planned Obsolescence. Any attempt I made to say otherwise fell on deaf ears.

Well, here we are today, cars with batteries that can cost $10k-$15k or more, and warrantied to last 8-10 years. Then what? After 10 years of driving you need to drop another $10-15k?!?!? And what is the warranty on the replacement? Anyone wanna’ bet it ain’t goin’ to be no 10 years?!?!?

The so-called Planned Obsolescence has arrived, and it seems like most now embrace it. I have lived my life on another world and I do not understand this one.

Similar career path myself


Project budget constraints on the production side equates to "Planned Obsolescence" perceptions on the end user side.

I could easily make things last MUCH longer, but nobody was ever willing to pay for it.

I've had so many end users tell me that's "good enough" only to complain later...

And they never remember the "good enough" statement either.

 

[Finface]

Bull wrote:

"I could easily make things last MUCH longer, but nobody was ever willing to pay for it."

There are a lot of things some people would be willing to pay for - if they understood there was an option.

I once asked a home builder why they didn't use stainless steel nails and screws on exterior parts of homes and he said, "Money".

I countered, "What would it cost to upgrade from nails and screws that rust and leave vertical rust stains where people can see it? $50? $100?"

He shrugged and said, "Money."

I said, "If you'd ask me to pay such a small difference to avoid rust stains, something I'd value as well as any future home buyer, I would."

He said, "You aren't the average home buyer."

 

[Speedy!]

When my shop was built it was like $150 to go from base level concrete like 3500psi or whatever to 4500psi. It was a no brainer. I don't mind paying more for something that lasts.

 

[2ndAmend]

Similar career path myself


Project budget constraints on the production side equates to "Planned Obsolescence" perceptions on the end user side.

I could easily make things last MUCH longer, but nobody was ever willing to pay for it.

I've had so many end users tell me that's "good enough" only to complain later...

And they never remember the "good enough" statement either.

Many preimum companies have gone out of business because they didn't have a cheapo alternative which is why even premium brands these days have low end offerings.

Most "prudent" (cheap, like me) shoppers look very carefully at price, and often pick the cheap alternative. Example: I have since replaced all the cheap faucets in my house with Simmons. When you have a limited budget you tend to go cheap. You never have enough money to do it right the first time, but you learn you need to pay up to be happy the 2nd time around!

Is that a 53E?

 

[Hellcatcfp]

 

[vortecd]

 

[2ndAmend]

Unfortunately both are now not only obsolete, but are now enemies of the state. We are obsolete also.

Sad as it is, we have had a good run, and I am happy beyond expression that I have been able to participate in and enjoy this resurgence of the Muscle Car. I drooled over the 340, 383, and 440 Challengers and Chargers. (I never actually saw a real 426 until about 1978.) Resurgence is an understatement, we have experienced the pinnacle of muscle car history like no one before, and no one will after (unless you like golf carts).

We did well, the stars aligned, we got ours, maybe we shouldn’t have, but no one is taking it away. FROM MY COLD DEAD RIGHT FOOT!

 

[Finface]

Many preimum companies have gone out of business because they didn't have a cheapo alternative which is why even premium brands these days have low end offerings.

Most "prudent" (cheap, like me) shoppers look very carefully at price, and often pick the cheap alternative. Example: I have since replaced all the cheap faucets in my house with Simmons. When you have a limited budget you tend to go cheap. You never have enough money to do it right the first time, but you learn you need to pay up to be happy the 2nd time around!

Is that a 53E?

I try and identify the "value point" in any product's line up, whether within a brand's offerings or comparing brands. It takes effort, but unless you're made of money and don't care it is worth it. Take a look at the top model and decide if you really need all the features. Usually I don't, and I suspect the profit margin expands at the top models. Sometimes though, especially with electronics, you want to think about longevity of the product. Take a look at the cheapest models, keeping in mind you usually get what you pay for. I often find the price point/feature list about 70% from the bottom model is the value point.

Another thing I learned from a plumber about 20 years ago was that residential hot water heaters come with various length warranties. I think the offerings for a replacement one had a 7, 12 and 20 year warranty. Big price differences. He said they are all the same water heater - you're only buying the warranty. What? Yep. So I bought the 7 year model for about half the price of the 20 year model. Same heater.

 

[Illegal_Demon]

I try and identify the "value point" in any product's line up, whether within a brand's offerings or comparing brands. It takes effort, but unless you're made of money and don't care it is worth it. Take a look at the top model and decide if you really need all the features. Usually I don't, and I suspect the profit margin expands at the top models. Sometimes though, especially with electronics, you want to think about longevity of the product. Take a look at the cheapest models, keeping in mind you usually get what you pay for. I often find the price point/feature list about 70% from the bottom model is the value point.

Another thing I learned from a plumber about 20 years ago was that residential hot water heaters come with various length warranties. I think the offerings for a replacement one had a 7, 12 and 20 year warranty. Big price differences. He said they are all the same water heater - you're only buying the warranty. What? Yep. So I bought the 7 year model for about half the price of the 20 year model. Same heater.

But did your heater last 20 years?

 

[2ndAmend]

I try and identify the "value point" in any product's line up, whether within a brand's offerings or comparing brands. It takes effort, but unless you're made of money and don't care it is worth it. Take a look at the top model and decide if you really need all the features. Usually I don't, and I suspect the profit margin expands at the top models. Sometimes though, especially with electronics, you want to think about longevity of the product. Take a look at the cheapest models, keeping in mind you usually get what you pay for. I often find the price point/feature list about 70% from the bottom model is the value point.

Another thing I learned from a plumber about 20 years ago was that residential hot water heaters come with various length warranties. I think the offerings for a replacement one had a 7, 12 and 20 year warranty. Big price differences. He said they are all the same water heater - you're only buying the warranty. What? Yep. So I bought the 7 year model for about half the price of the 20 year model. Same heater.

Sometimes you can go cheap, I love the $10 on sale 4.5" angle grinder from HF, the $6 on sale float charger too. Lots of their stuff is fine. Never bought their driver drills and related items.

On the other hand, going cheap on some things is absolutely stupid. Firearms are a good example, a smart person will completely ignore the lower 2/3 of the market. A quality gun will last 2-3 lifetimes making you, your kids and grandkids happy., a cheap gun will not make you happy, and no one will want to buy it from you. It's like buying a Yugo.

 

[Jimmy N.]

Sometimes you can go cheap, I love the $10 on sale 4.5" angle grinder from HF, the $6 on sale float charger too. Lots of their stuff is fine. Never bought their driver drills and related items..

You must not use your grinders much. I've burnt up several of those HF ones. Used to keep them in a few vehicles for emergencies, then started using them.

Wouldn't trust one of their chargers even in your garage. With mine a couple of hundred feet from the house, a defective charger couldn't affect the house if it caused a fire, but still. Too much at stake in my mind.

Their "expensive" drill bits aren't half bad, though. Brittle as all hell, but once you get used to treating them accordingly, they do cut really well.

 

[drag racer]

I'm honestly not sure why I'll consider the bicycle and not the car?

Political agendas aside, it is because of critical, logical thinking, and application of a reasonable solution/technology for the application. You will not find a bigger opponent of EV than me, but electricity is wonderful - in it's proper place - the primary propulsion system of an automobile ain't one of them by any stretch.

 

[vortecd]

Fake noise is changing again......... and probably....again


https://www.motortrend.com/news/2024-dodge-charger-daytona-srt-electric-muscle-car/?sm_id=organic:sm_id:fb:MT:trueanthem&fbclid=IwAR3r6UiILJ9zeh_ScoRH5lWz2UuAn43ZnIj24L885QtpK6IIpZ3C5A9dve8

 

[BULL]

Fake noise is changing again......... and probably....again


https://www.motortrend.com/news/2024-dodge-charger-daytona-srt-electric-muscle-car/?sm_id=organic:sm_id:fb:MT:trueanthem&fbclid=IwAR3r6UiILJ9zeh_ScoRH5lWz2UuAn43ZnIj24L885QtpK6IIpZ3C5A9dve8

Wow...

"Reaction was off the charts," he told MotorTrend in an interview on the auto show floor. Media coverage quickly garnered more than 20 million views—the equivalent of about $47 million in marketing costs, he says. "It started off super negative,"

 

[EricG]

Wow...

"Reaction was off the charts," he told MotorTrend in an interview on the auto show floor. Media coverage quickly garnered more than 20 million views—the equivalent of about $47 million in marketing costs, he says. "It started off super negative,"

LOL it is what they say it is. Don't ask any questions

 

[Smitty]

I don’t know. I can’t say I’m a fan of the gimmicky noise this thing puts out but if they were able to actually replicate the sounds of our Hellcats would that be a bad thing?🤔 obviously not necessary in the function of the vehicle but would be interesting.

 

[45-70govt]

I don’t know. I can’t say I’m a fan of the gimmicky noise this thing puts out but if they were able to actually replicate the sounds of our Hellcats would that be a bad thing?🤔 obviously not necessary in the function of the vehicle but would be interesting.

I will totally pass on any car karaoke. The EV sounding "like" a Hellcat is like a drunk old lady thinking she is Pasty Cline all the sudden.

 

[vortecd]

Wow...

"Reaction was off the charts," he told MotorTrend in an interview on the auto show floor. Media coverage quickly garnered more than 20 million views—the equivalent of about $47 million in marketing costs, he says. "It started off super negative,"

Only mostly negative now

 

[jroyk]

I will totally pass on any car karaoke. The EV sounding "like" a Hellcat is like a drunk old lady thinking she is Pasty Cline all the sudden.

Car Karaoke

 

[jroyk]

It was important to make sound with the movement of air, not with some speakers."

...pretty hard to make sound without the movement of air.