mystik

Gotta love the logic. We should actually sue the earth for supplying carmakers with the means to produce such large vehicles... Seriously though. The majority of the harmful gasses emitted into the earth's air are not by vehicles, but rather *gasp* by buildings. Try 80% I believe. Tell the yuppies that as they drive their Prius to the lot of a 30 story commercial tower that in one week probably emmits more damage to this earth than its entire clientel's arsenal of cars do in a year.

This happened in Motor Trend as well. The Mercedes gets the pass because its Mercedes. Soon as they get in it, they begin to notice while its good, not why its bad. When anyone, ANYONE, sits in a GM car, they look for faults, not for successes. Just the way it is, and sadly, the way it always will be. The QX56 is cheap, period. Theres a reason my neighbors down the street traded theirs in for a new Suburban. Tired of being frustrated with these rags that enjoy nothing more than dissing the domestics. Why hasnt anyone done a review of a Tahoe/Sequoia/Pathfinder yet? Why isnt the GX470 in this review? Because theyre dated Japanese vehicles, and you dont use dated vehicles in a comparison test unless theyre American.

You know what? This car reminds me a lot of the problems with the IS350, and even further...a billboard that Lexus itself used. It said "Is it possible to engineer desire?" And it appears that they have answered their own question. No you cant. I have never driven the LS, but I have regularly driven both an RX330 and the SC430 and they are nice, efficient cars. Theres no feel to them. Theyre just nice efficient cars. But there is a reason that my girlfriends mom traded her SC430 in because she wasnt driving it at all. What reason you ask? Because she bought a Hummer H2. She had both, and stopped driving the Lexus. This is coming from the same lady who told me Hummers were pieces of garbage that were always going to be in the shop. Because the Hummer has something Lexus cant engineer. Personality. It has a presence. Lexus seems to be hell bent on catching Benz and BMW in sales with the IS350 and the LS, but they seem to be missing the point. You dont win the segment with rear view cameras, turning headlights and reclining seats. You give the car personality first, technology second.

Wow...its kind of funny seeing the Japanese be so indifferent towards the nationalities of the cars and just accept both as driving machines. The Solstice was faster, cheaper and better. Couldnt be more bluntly put. In an American magazine itd go something along the lines of "The Solstice showed the tail-lights to the MX-5 around the track but the funky ergonomics inside and the pathetic excuse for a rear trunk diminishes the little difference in lap times between the two, so thus we give the nod to the MX-5". Very straightforward review of both cars. No over embellishment to fill up 5 pages of a magazine.

Ok I have been thinking about this for close to a day. What I thought about these trucks, and I believe its safe to say that GM has hit a grand slam with these trucks. I mean seriously, I am incredibly critical and when I first saw the Silverado I was dissapointed. Let's note some things that the competition can not compare to. 1) GM knows more about the truck business then anyone else. Ford can be argued. They know theyre trucks well. 2) One of the biggest selling points. Visual versatility. (That should be their tagline). Like boxy F-150 types? GMC Sierra looks better than the F-150 in that sense. Like more cut looking trucks? Silverado looks better than the Ram, Tundra and Titan. Exterior visual diversity exists here. Interior? Uhh... TWO freakin interiors. What's Toyota or Ford gonna do to compete with that? The Classic interior as I call it looks great and well done. I know a LOT of people thought the interior was good enough as it was, just needed to ramp up quality. And thats what this is. Or those who like luxurious cabins can go with the Tahoe interior. 3) Class leading HP, Fuel Economy, Payload and Towing. Who else can claim that?

Ok I currently have a 1996 GMC Sierra ext. cab 2WD. My tires suck and I recently got a set of lightly used 31x10.5R15 tires and am wondering if I can stick these on the stock wheels...will they rub? What is the largest size tire I can put on the truck?

Perrty....

The Chevy looks hideous in that shot. Much worse than the pictures of the slate colored one led to believe the truck looked like. Why release pictures of the trucks at such bad angles? The GMC looks better, more masculine and rugged. Looks a little dopey, both do, but Ill try and reserve judgement for the actual images.

How much will one of these run? I was all set to get a new Avalanche and then I see this....and now I play that crappy waiting game again. I couldnt imagine a better looking truck than the new Avalanche...and then I see this and eat my own words. This thing looks incredible. Those fender flares, wheels, tires and grille make it quite easily the most aggressive looking truck out there...take that Titan. Anyway, how much is this going to cost so I know how much to save?? Hurry up and build it Chevy!!!

Dang...ok why does GM have to release every picture of their cars in the absolute wost angle in the absolute worst color? The Tahoe and Yukon released with ugly colors, as did the Avalanche. Now the Silverado "debuts" with this red that does it no justice. That slate colored Silverado looks freakin NICE. That angle and color make it look stupid. The angle and color of the slate Silverado look freakin sweet and everything it should be.

The Subtleties of Car Magazines By Mystik Intro For the better part of these past few years, GM and its domestic counterparts have been at the forefront of media attack. They’re vehicles have been deemed underwhelming, and paling in comparison to those from import manufacturers. From the lowly Cobalt, to the muscular H3 to the sporty Solstice, each one of these vehicles, although a great improvement over previous iterations, were all reduced to a failure in comparison to they’re Asian counterparts. So it does seem that these Asian cars are the darlings of the automotive media, and should bear the right to put at the forefront of car news…right? Magazine Buyers Luckily for GM, the average car buyer is not the average car magazine buyer. Wagering a good 10-20% of people who own vehicles read car magazines, this is a fact that has greatly helped GM and its domestic counterparts bear the barrage of attacks the media puts on them. When you last bought a lawn mower, did you ever think of skimming through a Mower magazine, seeing which mowers won mower of the year, which ones won the shoot outs, comparison tests, and head to heads? Nah. No need. You know Craftsmans are great, or John Deere, etc. Most of the car buyers inherit car bias from family or friends, not from car magazines. Best example is the farmers and ranch owners in Texas, who would never own anything but a Ford, Chevy or Dodge. Why? Well they grew up with one. They mutter phrases like “That there Dodge/Chevy/Ford lasted me well over 300,000 miles and still runs as good as the day I bought her”. It is these people, who are “ignorant” to automotive media, that help GM. Cover Material The true point of this article is the bring forth a fact that is overlooked a lot in car magazines and articles, similar to how the high points in vehicles like the H3 are overlooked. The Asians and Germans win every comparison test, every shoot out, etc. You look at a comparison test that says “Luxury Car Shootout!” and in your head you can already tell that its going to be BMW, Lexus, Infiniti up top, with Cadillac bringing it up the rear. No need to flip those pages. “Compact Comparison!” Well again, no need to even open up the magazine. We know the Civic, Corolla and Mazda 3 are going to be up at the top. With the Cobalt, Caliber and Focus bringing it up the rear. Here’s where things get to be a little more interesting with the domestic automobiles. That new Honda Ridgeline and Honda Civic are both Car of the Year, and Truck of the Year respectively from Motor Trend. The Nissan Xterra won SUV of the Year. In the latest comparison test (The press couldn’t wait for this one) the FJ Cruiser beat out the H3 as the better entry level rock crawler. It goes on, and on, and on. So as I open my new Motor Trend, what do I see on the cover? Why, it isn’t that fabulous Civic at all. It’s not even upper echelon imports like the Lexus ES or the Infinity M35. It’s a comparison test between American tuner companies on how to achieve the best car that can compare to the new Corvette Z-06. But that’s fine right, I mean, it’s just “one” issue? Well I looked for previous issues of Motor Trend to see what else graced the cover, and the results were surprising. Mustang, Z-06, Camaro, Z-06, Viper, Mustang, GT….etc. If these imports are so great and fabulous, why can’t they put them on the cover? I mean, they’re fantastic cars apparently. Where’s that awesome Avalon? It beat the 300C right? Where’s its place on the front page of the latest Car and Driver or Motor Trend? Import cars have no personality. If you saw the cover of a magazine with a Camry on the front, you wouldn’t even consider picking it up. It may be a nice, efficient car that beats out anything that Detroit makes, but it isn’t cover material. The Impala SS is. Its personality. I took time to scan some previous issues of Motor Trend to better understand my point. The magazine companies aren’t stupid. They know what sells magazines. Imports don’t. When’s the last time someone truly drooled over a Lexus in the same fashion that someone did the Mustang or Camaro? They never will. So it’s a double edged sword when it comes to the media. They need American cars to sell the magazines, but have absolutely no problem downplaying them within the pages to promote their European and Asian counterparts. Motor Trend itself rushed to compare the Camaro and Mustang before anyone else could; because personality sells magazines. They may downplay domestics within the pages, but reading the fine lines one comes to realize that no matter how hard they push imports in people’s faces, it is the good ole domestic cars that serve as the eye candy, the draw, the lure. Check it out for yourself next time, or send an e-mail to your magazine. Why no imports on the cover? They are bland, boring cars not worthy of the cover of a magazine that is going to be seen in news stands by millions. At least until they open the cover and look inside. Then they’re the greatest thing since sliced bread. Notice the cover where the main focus was the Porsche 911, yet the Corvette is pushed conveniently to the front. Also notice how they dont actually show the car of the year on the COTY issue to hide the fact that its a Honda. Whereas last year they pushed the 300C/Corvette/Mustang to the cover. It's interesting stuff. Oh and the check out the latest issue as well...Mustang GT500 on the cover.

The editorial assault on the GMT-900s has begun. Motor Trend compared the Land Rover LRS, Mercedes GL450 and Escalade and you can bet your dollar which one took last place. Hehehe...its a shame for sure. Oh and a quote from a reader letter "Sure the Tahoe beat the Expedition in a comparison test, but lets see it go against a Sequoia."

Yeah...im sure it would have boded real well for it to have the Tahoe interior. Im surprised its so different...the press would have eaten GM alive if it had the Tahoe interior. Just the way it is. All of Lexus' cars could share the same interior and it'd be considered an industry trend before an apalling design move. Good stuff, cant wait to see the exterior.

Meh...why dont they call it a Lincoln GT or a Volvo GT. No. Its FORD GT. Its CHEVY Corvette. Granted, the GT-R is not even close to beginning to be in the same boat as those two in terms of legend status (hell it aint even hanging with the Camaro or Mustang) but its always been a Nissan, and always will remain a Nissan. I think it's stupid to take a car with a history such as that one and pretty it up for a company desperate for an icon. Infiniti needs to quit they're bitching, and wait for their next up level, SL500/XLR/SC430 competitor called the...iono... G55?

Sucks for Mazda. In a matter of months it goes from America's favorite roadster...to third. This car is freaking beautiful. I have yet to meet one person that doesn't think this car is flat out amazing. I'm sure the press will still badmouth its handling and whatnot...but whatever. Go Saturn!

Ok here is a prime example of media bias. Im not saying the FJ aint a cool little trucklet, just like the Fridgeline. But seriously...what the f' is this. They show a picture of the FJ interior and say "FJ Cruiser's dash features an attractive metal." They then show the H3 dash and say "H3 comes equipped with GM onstar" The hell? Why not just have exterior pictures and say "The FJ looks like it can tackle anything you throw at it." about the Cruiser and "The H3 features off road tires" for the H3. If you people dont think thats bias then I dont know what bias is. Other stuff: "Unlike the H3, the FJ is available in a base 4x2 model; the Hummer comes only as a 4x4." DAMN!! I really really wanted a 4X2 hummer...dumbass. "The Hummer starts to lose its poise when the pavement starts to get a bit dicey, bouncing its occupants around like rag dolls on the really rough stuff. The FJ stays cool on all but rutted, choppy surfaces. Both vehicles exhibit prodigious offroad capability." Really? Dont remember that when I test drove one... More media drivel.

Freaking wow. 300C, eat your heart out.

Carol: How gorgeous is he Ben? How gorgeous? Ben: Yes he really is breathtaking. Elaine looks shocked. Jerry: Oh man George, these eggs are delicious! Where did you learn to make eggs like these? Ben: Yes George, these eggs really are breathtaking.

Lmao...I cant stop laughing at these. The best is the IS350 beats M3, M5, S4, F-22. LOL. Antichrist seen in Lucerne...

LMFAO. I couldnt stop laughing at the "Corolla rescues drowning Child" one. Good stuff guys.

I get your point, but if you think the RR has more presence than the Escalade, then you are mistaken. Seriously. First and foremost, Jeep and Hummer are more known off roaders than Land Rovers are. First of all. Second of all I mean street presence, where the new Escalade (have you seen one in black with the factory 22s) simply dominates. Can you show me as to what gives the Land Rover such a presence that it comepetes with the Escalade for rubber necking? I mean its an opinion thing, but if you see a Range Rover and a new Slade side by side, one will garner much more attention than the other. The CTS is a different beast. Theres a reason the CTS was not shown on C & G a few months ago, even though they have the renderings of it. Curious how you've heard nothing about it for quite some time. The full size luxury sedan department obviously sees less competition than the mid-size luxury car market (300, Avalon, G35, IS350, 3 Series, A4, Passat) and less sales. That'd be like hiccuping on the truck market, which also mysteriously, has been kept unusually quiet. But you're right, GM does not deliver. Has not with the Tahoe, has not with the Escalade, and that new Aura, Sky, SRX, Avalanche, Enclave, and Camaro? Pfft. What kinds of crappy products is GM bringing to the table?? Good ole predictable GM.

Can someone name a luxury import that compares with Slade? You cant. You really cant. LX and GX? Please...both have as much personality as a hollowed out manequinn. Range Rover? Possibly, but no presence. I'd see this as Escalades biggest competitor. The previous Escalade, with a 90's pickup interior was still the most iconic SUV out there. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. Oh and dont metion the QX56...that was Infinitis hiccup. It's discerning to imports that the Escalade has established itself as the premier SUV for high end individuals. If GM stays where its been, itll never get knocked off. But alas! Here comes the CTS. Funny how eerily quiet GM has been about the redesign. G35, IS, 3 Series...time to stake claim in another market.

Go to any 8-12 year old nowadays and ask him or her how often they have opened an Encyclopedia. A physical encyclopedia. Its inevitable that this society becomes dependent on technology. People are used to having someone do the thinking for them now...a nav system is just that.

When is the Silverado/Sierra going to debut? I thought I had seen that the Sierra was going to be at the Houston Auto Show back in January, but it didnt come here. Then the spy pics popped up and what not. So what's the hold up? I mean...it is obvious now that the SUV platforms all look the same. Tahoe/Burban/Avalanche share the same nose. Will the trucks also share it as well...or will it be different? I want them shown already!

a.k.a Slippery Pete...