Checked out a Buick Cascada convertible today.
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The big SUVs from GM are all off the same platform, the Escalade, Tahoe, Suburban are all related.
Same thing for LX of LC from the 200 series
Or the GX460 and Prado from the 150 series which I think the 4Runner uses.
It's pretty straightforward.
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Yeah...I'm getting tired of it myself. You can only tell it like it is so many times, and then it gets annoying. I'm still a pretty patient person, though, and am used to it. I don't get irked easily.
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I would hate for a Crzue, Verano, Cascada or even Astra (if they read this forum) shopper to get the incorrect information.
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You maybe annoyed, but all I am pointing out is that the Verano/Crzue/Astra and Cascada all come from the Delta II platform. Perhaps the Verano is a rebadged Opel, which I would not dispute. I am not sure how you can refute this? Even CR (which I don't think is a very good publication" states that the Verano is based off a Cruze.
I would hate for a Cruze, Verano, Cascada or even Astra (if they read this forum) shopper to get the incorrect information.
I would hate for a Cruze, Verano, Cascada or even Astra (if they read this forum) shopper to get the incorrect information.
Anyhow...with all due respect, I'm off to another subject. We've been on this long enough.
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Exactly. GM has gotten better from the bad old days of badge engineering in the 80's/90's/, where all their cars looked/drove the same despite having different(or sometimes the same) bodies, interiors, and engines across brands and at different price points.
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True in general, but GM's Opel based/rebadged products still seem more solidly-built than most of the others.
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Take a Cascada out for a spin when you get a chance, Jill....though Toronto this time of year can be simply too cold with the top down. But sample one when the weather warms up a little.....I don't think you will be disappointed with it.
Last edited by mmarshall; Feb 22, 2016 at 01:52 PM.
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If I may interject, in general, IRS is less "busy" on a bumpy road, especially in turns, because each rear wheel can react to bumps separately, without passing the impact through the beam or live rear-axle to the opposite rear wheel, causing slight kicks in the rear end and sometimes in the steering. With IRS, the impact, instead, passes directly up into, and is absorbed by, the rear suspension, or passed onto the frame. As Steve (SW15LS) points out, in general, that smooths out the handling and response on bumpy roads and bumpy curves. But other factors can also come into play, such as issues of unsprung weight (the amount of weight under the springs/suapension actually pushing them up on a bump), tire design/PSI, bushing-firmness, cross-bracing on the front suspension across the engine, front/rear sub-frames, frame-stiffness, and, of course, the stiffness of the suspension itself.
However, a well-designed rear suspension can minimize the cross-bumping effect of a beam or live rear axle. Even the simplest and most compact of suspensions today (such as McPherson struts) are far more sophisticated and efficient than they were decades ago.
However, a well-designed rear suspension can minimize the cross-bumping effect of a beam or live rear axle. Even the simplest and most compact of suspensions today (such as McPherson struts) are far more sophisticated and efficient than they were decades ago.
Last edited by mmarshall; Feb 22, 2016 at 02:11 PM.
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Not much I can add to what mmarshall said right above. The independent nature of the suspension helps keep the car feeling planted even when the suspension is reacting to road irregularities through a corner. A solid rear axles car can become "unsettled" feeling under these circumstances as both wheels react to road irregularities from the opposite side.
I would add that while its possible to minimize the cross bump effect, its always a compromise or a workaround and is never ideal. You reach a certain point in the price and mission statement of a car where you don't want it to be a compromise anymore and you want the core components of the car to be ideal for the application. Thats my issue with Buicks being "premium" yet still utilizing an economy car rear suspension.
I would add that while its possible to minimize the cross bump effect, its always a compromise or a workaround and is never ideal. You reach a certain point in the price and mission statement of a car where you don't want it to be a compromise anymore and you want the core components of the car to be ideal for the application. Thats my issue with Buicks being "premium" yet still utilizing an economy car rear suspension.
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I've also noticed more or less the same effect in the cars I've owned with IRS....Mazdas, IS300, Outback, etc.......
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Mike...come on...lets be real...the car would be much improved on an IRS. A solid rear axle is an economy car suspension, and a setup that many carmakers are eschewing even on economy cars because an independent setup is just better.
You're not going convince me that somehow...for the Verano and Cascada the solid rear axle was the right choice and not just the "cheap, good enough" choice.
You're not going convince me that somehow...for the Verano and Cascada the solid rear axle was the right choice and not just the "cheap, good enough" choice.