Variance

Wow. Is this all true? What a tool. Now in fairness, I have never seen any of Moore's documentaries or read anything substantive from him but he comes across here as an attention whore and nothing more.

DETROIT – Today, Cadillac announced that the 2007 Escalade will be made available to next year’s Super Bowl Most Valuable Player as part of Cadillac’s official vehicle sponsorship with the NFL and Super Bowl XL in Detroit in February. For the past four years, Cadillac has held the official vehicle title for the event and provided the MVP award winner an opportunity to select a Cadillac of their choice. This year, the MVP winner will have the option of owning the all-new 2007 Cadillac Escalade or selected vehicle from the Cadillac portfolio. The 2007 Escalade will go into production in the first quarter of 2006 ensuring that the MVP winner would be the owner of one the first vehicles produced. “We’re excited to have Super Bowl XL in our own backyard here in Detroit this February, and that we will once again be awarding the Super Bowl MVP with a new Cadillac,” said Jim Taylor, Cadillac general manager. “It makes perfect sense that the Super Bowl’s most valuable player drives home with the all-new Cadillac Escalade or one of our other luxury vehicles.” Cadillac over the last two weeks has held two star-studded, world premiere events to unveil the all-new 2007 Escalade. The first was at an exclusive showing in Beverly Hills at the “Escalade on Rodeo” store, hosted by Academy Award Winner, Adrien Brody. The vehicle was seen by a select group of entertainers, athletes and media at a temporary Cadillac Store located in the heart of Beverly Hills on Rodeo drive. Last week Cadillac held another high profile event for the fashion and design community in New York City hosted by Melania Trump at Milk Studios in Manhattan. The 2007 Cadillac Escalade will become available in the first quarter of 2006, with extended-wheelbase Escalade ESV and Escalade EXT models to be introduced later in the year. The Escalade family is one of the most aspirational nameplates in the industry and attracts the youngest customers in Cadillac’s portfolio of automobiles. 2007 CADILLAC ESCALADE: VEHICLE HIGHLIGHTS All-new distinctive exterior design All-new spacious interior with superior refinement Powerful 6.2L all-aluminum small-block V-8 with VVT rated at 403 hp (301 kw) Efficient six-speed automatic transmission with Drive Shift Control Stronger frame chassis with responsive coil-over-shock front suspension and rack-and-pinion steering for the best ride and handling in the segment Standard roof-mounted head curtain side air bags and StabiliTrak stability control system with new rollover mitigation technology New radio family, including available navigation radio with touch-screen control A myriad of luxury features including factory installed 22” chrome wheels, climate controlled front seats, power fold and tumble 2 nd row seats, remote start, power articulating running boards, power liftgate and IntelliBeam headlamps Enhanced four-wheel disc brake system Cadillac is a division of General Motors (NYSE: GM). General Motors, the world's largest vehicle manufacturer, designs, builds and markets cars and trucks worldwide, and has been the global automotive sales leader since 1931. Cadillac products include the CTS sport sedan, SRX luxury utility, STS performance luxury sedan, DTS large luxury sedan, XLR luxury roadster, Escalade full-size SUVs (Escalade, Escalade ESV and Escalade EXT) and the high-performance V-Series (CTS-V, STS-V, XLR-V) three cars that go 0-60 in under 5 seconds. Link: http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet...n=2&docid=20819

Their reasoning with that was that for TOTY testing they take the entire vehicle line into account. The Titan doesn't have as many variations as the F-150. I think C&D said the same thing.

DETROIT Nov 22, 2005 — The Honda Civic, which in its latest incarnation offers drivers a more sleek and upscale take on the popular compact car, has claimed the honor of 2006 Car of the Year from Motor Trend magazine. All four new Civic models a sedan, a coupe, a high-performance model called the Si and a gasoline-electric hybrid were given the award. "Honda deserves a standing ovation for not playing it safe again," Motor Trend's editor in chief, Angus MacKenzie, said in a statement Tuesday. "The engineering passion that Honda … was founded on radiates from these new Civics." Motor Trend editors put the Civics through two weeks of track testing, performance drives and walk-around appraisals. The magazine chooses its top car based in part on value, standing in its class and significant developments. "With their bold, contemporary styling and innovative technology, the new Civics are primed for success in one of the most competitive market segments in the country," Motor Trend said in its announcement. Motor Trend picked its Car of the Year from a field of 28 new models, including the Audi A3, BMW 3 Series, Cadillac DTS, Chevrolet HHR, Dodge Charger, Ford Fusion, Mercedes-Benz R-Class, Pontiac Solstice, Toyota Avalon and the Volkswagen Jetta and Passat. Last year's winner was the Chrysler 300, the uniquely styled sedan that attracted buyers from rappers to grandmothers. Last month, the publication named Nissan's Xterra its sport utility vehicle of the year. Motor Trend plans to announce its truck of the year in December.

Well, according to NADA that price is about $22-27K off. If it is too good to be true... I'm guessing it's a flood damage car or something.

You may want to send the children to bed for this one...it's a bit risque. :o

Yes, I heard the V-12 engine can be a bitch maintainence-wise but on other other hand...you'd have a V-12 engine. B)

Rehosted: It's kind of like a more squared Infiniti FX.

Really. At least make it look like you tried to modernized it more than that.

Ford didn't settle. They fought and (wrongly) lost. They jury ordered them to pay.

I actually prefer the Tahoe, too.

I wasn't planning on seeing it but I saw Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire yesterday. It was pretty good and I wasn't as lost as I thought I'd be having not seen the first three movies.

Allow me to play devil's advocate here: I don't see the big deal personally. For instance, Honda didn't claim the Ridgeline was the first vehicle to offer the dual-hinged tailgate, they simply simply said it was "innovative". Splitting hairs maybe but still...

Be realistic. I've lots of these on the roads already. Edited for spelling.

19.8 years here.

The good thing to see is no brand's dealers semms to be especially terrible as they mostly range within 80 points of each other (with the noteable exception of Isuzu dealers who have most likely given up on life).

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 16 November 2005 — Jaguar ranks highest in overall sales satisfaction for a second consecutive year, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2005 Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) StudySM released today. Jaguar, which tied with Lexus for the highest ranking in 2004, receives an overall SSI index score of 889 (on a 1,000-point scale). Jaguar performs particularly well in the salesperson and finance process factors. Lexus (888) follows Jaguar in the rankings, while Buick and Porsche tie to rank third overall at 878. Although still ranking below the industry average, Scion receives the most improved score in the study, increasing 21 index points from 2004. Scion receives considerably higher ratings from customers in the delivery process, working with the salesperson, paperwork/finance and especially vehicle price measures. According to the study, not finding a new vehicle that is equipped with the exact features desired is having a significant impact on overall satisfaction with the sales process. While 73 percent of new-vehicle buyers purchased their vehicle with the exact features they wanted, 11 percent said they ended up paying for features they didn’t want. Buyers who are not able to equip their new vehicle exactly the way they want shop more dealers and spend more time at the dealer they purchase from trying to find the vehicle that will best meet their needs. This extra time spent lowers overall satisfaction compared to consumers who find a vehicle equipped exactly how they wanted. "Whether buyers end up sacrificing a preferred color or paying for options they didn’t necessarily want, having to settle for a vehicle that is not equipped as expected not only affects satisfaction with the vehicle itself, but also affects customer satisfaction with the overall sales experience," said Steve Witten, executive director of automotive retail at J.D. Power and Associates. "Although dealers use several resources to find the vehicle a consumer wants, manufacturers have to come up with more effective solutions for matching buyer expectations." Satisfaction also falls significantly when the amount of time spent at the dealership exceeds one hour. Customer satisfaction drops by 59 index points when comparing customers who spend one hour or less at the dealership to those who spend two or three hours. The average consumer spends approximately three hours at the dealership when purchasing their vehicle, and more than 15 percent of consumers spend four hours or more. "Dissatisfaction with the amount of time spent on the sales process is mostly attributed to the negotiation process," said Witten. "Buyers typically talk to several dealership personnel before finally driving off the lot with their new vehicle. Dealerships should work more efficiently and cut down the number of personnel a customer must deal with during the sales process, because satisfaction with the sales experience heavily impacts the likelihood of the customer using the same dealership for vehicle maintenance service in the future." The study, which includes responses from buyers who purchased a new vehicle in May, just prior to the introduction of employee price discount programs in June, finds that satisfaction has dropped substantially in the area of price compared to 2004. New-vehicle buyers who made their purchase in May perceived they were not getting a good price for their vehicle when compared to those who made their purchase in June. However, according to data from the Power Information Network (PIN), a division of J.D. Power and Associates, the average retail price of a new vehicle in June only decreased slightly compared to May. "Consumers tend to walk into a dealership with a preconceived idea as to how much they are willing to spend for a new vehicle," said Witten. "While this summer’s employee discount incentive programs lowered new-vehicle pricing, buyers often reinvested those savings into additional options and features, raising the average retail price to pre-incentive levels in many cases. We expect that the new round of incentives, such as the GM Red Tag Event, will have a similar effect on consumers." The 2005 Sales Satisfaction Index is based on responses from 37,296 new-vehicle buyers who purchased their vehicles in May of 2005. The study provides the automotive industry with a comprehensive analysis of the new-vehicle purchase experience. http://www.jdpower.com/news/releases/press....asp?ID=2005227

Internship?

Sweet justice. B)

That kind of irks me, too. Motorcycles especially love to do this. I've seen maybe two people actually get pulled over for it.

I don't find it that bad. When the traffic is good it's a 30-40 minute drive for me. Trying to get home during rush hour is a different matter, though. It takes near 1 1/2 hours in that case. I like the downtown Stamford area, so it's worth it I suppose.

It may be imperial gallons (different from our gallons).

Currently working on a (now) Economics degree at UConn in Stamford.

Public school all the way but I actually skipped Kindergarten.

Is driver chivalry dead? -VarianceJ30 November 16, 2005 I often find myself vexed at human nature. Most people on their own are courteous enough (or at least they don’t act like asses) to other people. Sometimes people will hold a door open for you, they’ll tell you the time if you ask, and they may even give you a little change if you need it. However, put them behind the wheel of a car and 9 times out of 10, everyone becomes an adversary. Nowadays, it seems more and more people are acting like they and they alone own the road. I seriously question how some of these people keep their licenses (or even obtain them in the first place). Here are some of the demonstrations of poor driving skill that I find to be more than an occasional occurrence: *People who wait until the last possible moment to move into a crowded exit lane on the highway or the reverse... *People who drive in an “exit only” lane and for whatever reason try to get over at the last minute to avoid exiting the highway. *Drivers who feel a traffic-filled highway is a great place to re-enact a Hollywood car chase. *Speeders who, instead of simply slowing the hell down when fast approaching a car ahead of them, swerve into another lane to avoid hitting them (often cutting off another car in the process). *Drivers who apparently aren’t comfortable if they aren’t two inches away from your rear bumper. In addition to people who simply can’t grasp the concept of sensible driving, there are those who just lack good old-fashioned common sense. For instance: *There are people who seem to think headlights are there just for looks since they don’t turn them on at night. *Some people seem to want to take it upon themselves to make your day more exciting by making you slam on your brakes and nearly rear-end them because they don’t have functioning brake lights. *Some drivers want to make sure that you can see them by leaving their high beams on (blinding you in the process). Now I don’t proclaim myself to be a perfect driver but I like to think I’m one of the more considerate ones out there. I always signal my turns and lane changes, I allow people to merge on the highway when I can, I move aside for faster drivers, etc. There are other drivers out there that are pretty much the same way. However, for every reasonably good driver, there are about five more jerks it seems. What’s the cause of all of this driving indifference? I feel American drivers in general simply want to get from point A to B as quickly as possible and to hell with anything that gets in their way. We as a whole have become impatient when it comes to driving. Impatience leads to anger or frustration which in turn can lead to carelessness. Very few Americans enjoy driving anymore; it’s become a chore. It’s my feeling sometimes we all just need to get away and go for drive just for the sake of driving occasionally. We need something to make driving less of a miserable experience. Maybe then we, as a whole, can be more mindful of those we share the road with.