Frisky Dingo

I think you guys are being way too generous to GM. This may be a case where someone was trying to take advantage of the situation as a whole, but in the legit ones, GM needs it's ass handed to it. And on a side note, Takata just needs to be shut the f@#k down.

I call BS on this. Marketing has retold stories multiple different ways. So you change the power train for the 3 series and then redo ALL the 3 series at the same time to connect the numbers with the engines. I personally think both BMW and MB needs to do this as their numbering system is a mess now. I'm saying that is the mentality of BMW, not that it's the truth or what I think.

That's exactly what it is. "We can't call the new 328i a 320i now just because it has a 2.0 engine, people will think it's not as good!"

Remember, think globally. Some of the CUVs/SUVs that will sell great here will sell terrible in Europe and China. Some of the CUVs/SUVs that sell great in China and Europe won't sell that great here. Cadillac needs a full portfolio to cover all of those bases. I thought that's what Buick was for.

It's true but how do you do all sorts of variations(like the Germans do) with names? For instance, Instead of a 3/4 Series they use Continental(first "name" that came to my head). So you have a Continental, Continental Coupe, Countinental xDrive, Continental Coupe xDrive, Continental Wagon, Continental Wagon xDrive, Continental Gran Turismo, Continental Gran Turismo xDrive, aaaaaaaand that could all very well just be the base engine or the top of the line twin turbo 6(excluding M). See how wordy the German cars would be had they not just used a number. Also, the numbers actually hold equity in these cars. The numbers signify a larger engine, prestige, "better" car. Everybody that drives any BMW knows a 340i is a more expensive, faster, better equipped car than a 320i. The same exact thing can be said for MB. C300 vs C450. The numbers actually have some equity to them. Just my view on it though. Two things- First off, I see no problem with all the hypothetical Continental variants. You put the model name on one side of the deck lid, you put the variant on the other. 'Conti' on the left, 'Touring', 'Coupe', whatever on the right. Simple. As for the Germans, their names used to at least make sense for the most part. A 325i had a 2.5 liter engine. A 540i had a 4.0 engine. Now, they're a mess. They need to go back their ols naming scheme. Call a 320i a 320i, Call a 328i a 328is. Call the 335i a 330i. This $h! ain't hard. They're just making it convoluted.

Good. The more idiots off the roads, the better.

5 CUV's for Cadillac is too much. Sorry, it just is.

This naming $h! is out of control. Just admit that you're lazy and jumping on the bandwagon with everyone else. Nobody's model names mean $h! anymore, not even MB's and BMW's.

We all knew this was coming. They've had hybrid 911 racecars, after all. I have no issue with it. Actually looking forward to what they come up with.

Here's my take on that- I just checked out the COTY Test again to jog my memory, and the cars that made it as finalists were in many ways, easy choices. The Camaro is an icon and has practically rewritten the Pony car book. The new 7 is the latest and greatest entry into a class that only contains the latest and greatest. The Civic is another icon, one that has seemingly been moved to near Acura levels. The AMG is an almost-supercar, and we all know how smitten MT is with it. The Miata is the renewal of a segment it virtually owns exclusively and is long running stick to measure 'pure' driving cars with. The Mirai is something really out of the ordinary. The TT is another icon, especially from a design standpoint. I kinda think the Malibu just got lost in the shuffle. In all honesty, it DOESN'T really do anything drastically different from the norm. It's not knocking down unheard of mileage, it's not touting some game changing powertrain or construction. It probably just didn't peg the meter in the 'Advancement of Design' and 'Value' criteria. Also, I imagine it's easy to overlook such good qualities when you also have six-figure AMG's, sports cars, and halo luxury sedans in the mix. I have no doubt that stepping from the 7 Series to the Malibu makes it hard to decipher how good the ride is, how quiet it is, etc, even though the Malibu does particularly well at those things. For all I know, it could have just narrowly missed the Finalists List. I think, and certainly hope, that the car will fare much better in direct comparos with other cars in the segment. I've driven them all just about at this point, save for a few outliers- V6/Hybrid Accord, new Korean 2.0T and Eco offerings, and 200S. No other car I've driven in the class matches the overall competency and cohesion of the Malibu. There are others that are sportier. There are others that offer more features for the money. But there is no other that even comes close to making feel as though I haven't compromised by buying a mainstream midsize sedan the way the Malibu does. I just can't come up with any REAL criticism for the car. That pretty much says it all, in my mind. If I, of all people, can get out of a car, and based on how it performs it's intended mission statement, and be unable to find any real fault, that's a bulls eye shot, imo. I just think too many auto sources put too much stock in things that don't do as much to define a car- like it's handling or acceleration- as how well the car fulfills it's intended purpose. It's such reasons why I think the M3 is still the leader of it's pack despite the ATS being sharper. And why I'd rather a GT3 over a Z06, despite the Porsche being slower around a track. The Malibu nails it. I really don't know why anyone would buy an Impala.

Lol.

Without having driven the new Camaro, it's hard to say, but I'd be inclined to say it.

The naming scheme is stupid. But the bigger problem has been their peddling of outdated and/or subpar products for the better part of a decade.

Well, we got our first 2.0T in, and after waiting for what seemed an eternity- it was actually two days- it got PDI'd and put on the lot. So, being the car junkie I am, I took it for a quick spin earlier. I kept the drive fairly short, as I was mainly concerned with the impact the 2.0T made on the driving experience. As you may remember, my initial thoughts on the 1.5T were extremely positive. I'm happy to say, a stint with the 'big block' hasn't changed that. I'm just going to come right out and say it- in 2.0T guise, it may be the most competent, best built and driving vehicle I have ever been in relative to it's price tag. I believe I read an article a few months back that the average new car price paid in 2015 was just shy of $35,000. Well folks, the car I drove was a 2LT with light options that came in at $29,495. And calling it average would be akin to calling Scarlett Johansson average looking. Or saying Denzel is an average actor. Or Freddie Mercury had an average voice. Or Anderson Silva was an average fighter. You may get where I'm going with this. The car is just utterly, shockingly good. It is the first car of it's kind I have ever driven and found myself wondering, "Why would anyone pay the money for a luxury or premium car when this thing is so, so good, and so, so much cheaper?" Really, it just begs the question. The car is so smooth, so well-mannered, so efficient, (can be) so well-equipped, and just so easy and enjoyable to drive, it's hard to justify spending any more to get a 'better' car. As for specifics, everything I praised the 1.5 car for is present and accounted for here. And on top of it, you get a deliciously creamy and wide powerband paired with a superb transmission. The car will just walk away from surrounding traffic with ease. You surf an endless wave of torque delivered by gears whose shifts are almost imperceptible. It's comically easy to reach the speed limit and beyond. My only complaint would be when coming to a stop, or close to one, there are sometimes slightly harsh downshifts. It only seems to happen when you are stopping somewhat quickly- the light just turned red as you came up on it- and in the last few shifts into the lower gears. It's really a nitpick item that only the most keen would pick up on. And it could very easily be attributed to being new. So I'll overlook that. The car got an indicated 35-36 mpg @ 70mph, compared to a rating of 33 HWY. Coming back, I got an indicated 30-31 @ 75mph with a headwind. Over a 15 mile drive that consisted of highway, backroad, and in-town, I averaged 24.8. Impressive stuff. If you, or even anyone you know, is in the market for a new vehicle even remotely similar to this- whether it be a sedan or CUV- you owe it to yourself/them to go look at or recommend one of these. GM made a truly sublime car here. I hope this thing gets the recognition and sales it deserves.

I'd stay far, far away from a Journey.

Very nice. I'm a fan of that interior. And it pairs really well with the white.

Hmm. My driving impressions largely mirror these, save for a few differences. First off, and a glaring omission from this piece, the ride is absolutely awful. This is one of the worst riding cars out there. The suspension just never settles down. It's always bouncing, whether it's driving straight through city streets or on back roads. The car just isn't buttoned down. Even in NISMO spec. I have no qualms with the shifter, though it is a bit notchy. The clutch is another issue, however. It's too stiff, and has way too much travel. I think the steering is the high point of the car, as it is quick, precise, has good feel, and I think it is very nicely weighted. Handling balance is neutral, though it can be easily provoked into oversteer. It's very catchable when it does, though. If you just want a new sports car that needs to function as nothing other than just that, it's a decent choice. Not much more than a FR-S, but with a load more power and handling almost as good. Throw some good coilovers on it, and it'll fix the car's business.

Who is all this BMW shadowing supposed to appeal to, that's going to sign for a Cadillac? These folks want a misshapen & bloated 4-dr hatchback, they can march over to BMW for their fat dozen sedans and kindergarten naming schemes. Again: Cadillac does not "Need" to answer all 43 models at BMW. I agree. BMW's history is the 3-series, I actually thought the coupes and convertibles should have stayed 3-series. That is their bread and butter product, variants of it are a good thing, but I don't like the 4-series split, and a 4-door 4-series is just stupid. I also don't get why Cadillac wants to be so much like BMW. It is like they sat around the product development table at Cadillac and said Joe says "we need a BMW X5 competitor." Then Sally says "oh I have a great idea, lets make an SUV the same size and call it XT5! Then buyers will know it matches up to a BMW X5, and by putting a "T" in there we can't get sued for trademark infringement." Then Joe says "great idea Sally, and we can make an XT1 and an XT3 as well to compete with the X1 and X3!!!" It's pathetic. Even in their own brand "Escalade" is there most recognizable and successful product. Yet they don't want to follow use of word names, or pay homage to the Eldorados and Fleetwoods of the past (which were mostly good cars until the mid 80s). This copy BMW will get them no where. Cadillac should be Cadillac. I don't think they need 43 models, but they need 3 crossovers plus Escalade on the SUV side, 4 car lines and some sort of sports car. I very much agree with this. Cadillac building 10 year old BMW's obviously isn't working. They are going to have to find the right balance of driving dynamics, luxury, style, and identity. When you are perceived to be inferior to the competition in any regard, you have to outdo your competitors in those aspects. Not almost match them, not even do just as good. You have to beat them. BMW, Mercedes, and Audi are building too many models. And they're cutting too many corners in too many products. It will catch up with them if they don't get it in check. Cadillac does NOT need to follow down the same path. I personally think a sub-ATS is unneeded. They need to continue to improve the ATS as it is, build a proper S Class competitor, and something above that. Then some sort of sports/super halo car. As for CUV's, 2 is plenty. 3 at absolute most.

Who is all this BMW shadowing supposed to appeal to, that's going to sign for a Cadillac? These folks want a misshapen & bloated 4-dr hatchback, they can march over to BMW for their fat dozen sedans and kindergarten naming schemes. Again: Cadillac does not "Need" to answer all 43 models at BMW. Well, they are trying to compete w/ the big 3 (Audi, BMW, MB) so it's natural they are going to try and match them at some level...maybe not in lock step, but be competitive in the major niches... They ARE competing, but Cadillac's 'upper hand' is that they DON'T have to offer 43 models; they can pick & chose. Far too often, people think "competing" means matching every tiny, worthless, niche model that others do. That's not 'competing', it's shadowing. I'm arguing elsewhere, right now, with a guy who thinks the 3-series is "much larger" than the ATS, when they are virtually identical in size. These sort of folk will never be happy with even what they suggest Cadillac should do, because first & foremost they will NEVER be Cadillac customers (the badge is wrong). It's a colossal waste of time & money to pursue these people, with these fringe, niche models even the other brands' customers don't buy (IE: the 1-series, or the R8, for example). There HAS to be a strong, long-term vision for the core models, above ALL else. A 3 Series and ATS are the same size. The 3 Series just has better packaging. The back seat is much roomier in the BMW.

I vaguely remembered positive driving impressions of them back when I sold Toyotas. Our dealer only ever stocked V6 Limiteds, though. But I knew the Sport came in V6 too, was far better looking, and actually had some worthwhile changes to suspension and what not. Lo and behold, our Toyota dealer just happened to have a used Limited V6, so I took it home for my wife to drive, and to refresh my memory. I still liked the way it drove, and she absolutely loved it. It's rare for my wife to actually have such a positive reaction for a car, so I knew it was the ticket. From there, it was just finding one close enough with good miles to buy. Ended up buying one from Ackerman Toyota there in STL. We briefly considered leasing a new Rav Hybrid, but it made more sense to trade it on something used so we didn't waste our sales tax. Plus buying a used one gives us the freedom to get out of it whenever we feel like. Considered a new Renegade, new Malibu, and CX3 as well, but same deal. As soon as she said she liked the Rav V6, I was done.

Believe it or not, it drives absolutely nothing like a V6 Camry. Aside from the power delivery, it's wholly different. The steering is naturally weighted, precise, and has decent feel. Overall, it is much more enjoyable to drive, and much sportier and competent for what it is than a V6 Camry, even the SE model. It uses the exact same V6, so it's got 268hp, and it does well with it. It does use the older 5AT rather than the 6AT, though. My wife liked the practicality and seating position of a SUV/CUV, and I wanted to keep AWD. From there it was a pretty easy candidate because it's the only thing out there aside from new offerings that has good power but is still fuel efficient. And their AWD system is actually pretty good. I'll never have so many kids that I need a minivan. I have 2, and that's plenty. As for the vehicle, like you said, for what we need/want, it was just such an easy choice. And once my wife drove one, it sealed the deal. It's really a great little ride for what it is.

Yeah I was only thinking of current models so I completely skipped past a v6 Rav 4. I was so confused because it said it was in 1 of the last 3 posts but we already listed all the "current" v6's. NICE lookin lil SUV! Are those factory 18's? They're a sharp looking wheel and, as most know, I love black vehicles! Just get a little tint up front to match the rears...mmm hmmmm. Yeah, factory 18's. It's really a slick little package. The Sport also drops the ungainly rear spare on the back hatch for a cleaner look. Drove 120 miles home last night in a mix or freezing rain, sleet, and snow, and the thing did awesome. Very pleased with it. And it even handles quite well as a bonus.

Even though it's not mine per se, I'm honestly thrilled with it. The little thing is a damn rocket ship for what it is, and it's getting 7-8 mpg better than the 4Runner. All while having better visibility and being much friendlier toward city use. My wife loves it, and it's hard for her to really get excited by autos, so I'm happy with it.

$h!. lol Holy $h!. I didn't realize they made a V6 Rav4!. THAT IT! Ding, ding, ding. Black V6 Sport AWD. Looks just like this-

Not a Flex. It's a Japanese V6 AWD/4WD.