Frisky Dingo

That interior is horrendous.

I just don't understand why anyone would buy of these. The GM twins, and hell, even the Tacoma, offer such good road manners, you'd have to be dumb to throw away their off-road ability and ruggedness for what will undoubtedly be vehicle that costs the same but is vastly inferior in so many ways. I think Honda should have just left the Ridgeline name to history. Use the money to give as a new S2K.

The front is pretty decent. The midsection is very nice. The rear is handsome. Put them all together and it is an extremely incohesive design, imo. It doesn't look like a GMC. As for the downsize, just what exactly is GM doing here? What does this mean for the Traverse? Will there be no GMC to fill the role of the outgoing Acadia? I just don't get it. None of our reps seem to have any idea about any of this. Go figure.

A very uninspired and forgettable design. It better offer some enticing pricing.

Well aren't you a party pooper.

I'd buy the nicest Trailblazer I could find.

Just out of curiosity, what don't you like? The biggest change from the concept car is the aft roofline/C-piller area. Other than that, the rear is slightly resculpted and the rear haunches are a bit narrower. It's pretty darn close to the concept.

This kind of hyperbole right here is why you and I butt heads. Only you would somehow suggest a C6 Corvette even begins to hold a candle to an LFA. Or that this car will look bad. This is the base model. There will be a hybrid and twin-turbo model to follow. It is more than sufficient as a base engine. Especially in a luxury coupe. As for the car, it is a stunning design. They could have cleaned the rear end up just a bit, however. Didn't expect this thing to start around the six-figure mark, but I guess Lexus is going after the big fish here.

Going back to the 320i, a tune runs less than $600. That puts it on par with the power level (just a bit more, actually) of the 328i. For a cheap leased DD, it'd be a fun little car with a 6MT and Sport Pkg. And out the door for low-mid 30's. I can think of no other car in the segment or a similar segment that would make a more compelling buy for an enthusiast. We'll just have to agree to disagree on the 8AT in the Vette. Aside from being smooth and well-behaved in auto mode, I noticed nothing to write home about. In manual mode, response time didn't feel quick enough, downshifts were a bit jerky, it just didn't feel like a good dual-clutch does. As for CUE, I didn't go on a rant at all. I briefly mentioned it. It is still a frustrating system to use, imo.

Not sure when disagreeing with became 'demeaning', but sure.

No offense Frisky but how is his support of Cadillac any different from your support of BMW? That last remark was simply uncalled for. While I may support BMW, I have no problem openly criticizing them where it is due. I also have no problem with Cadillac or someone liking Cadillac. But mocking products from a competitor when Cadillac's own is even worse strikes me as rather hypocritical. I do not blindly proclaim BMW to be superior to other vehicles just because of my preference. Again, you do the EXACT same thing where BMW is concerned that Casa does where Cadillac is concerned. That is all I'm saying. BTW, saying Cadillacs is worse is pure opinion on your part and partially proves what I am saying here. Carry on folks. No, I don't. Provide me one instance where I have said that a brand- in particular, Cadillac- sucked, or remarked "F%*# them." in reference to them. You won't. You can't. Him and I are noth the same. And there is absolutely NO third party source that would dispute the 320i as being better than the ATS 2.5. It's like saying Scarlett Johansson is hotter than Roseann. It may be opinion, but it's unanimously agreed upon by any reasonable person.

No offense Frisky but how is his support of Cadillac any different from your support of BMW? That last remark was simply uncalled for. While I may support BMW, I have no problem openly criticizing them where it is due. I also have no problem with Cadillac or someone liking Cadillac. But mocking products from a competitor when Cadillac's own is even worse strikes me as rather hypocritical. I do not blindly proclaim BMW to be superior to other vehicles just because of my preference.

First U come at me in a way that was unnecessary... especially since I was talking about the car.. not U. Second.. and here is the most important part if U can ever get past the BS.. WE AGREE ON A BUNCH ON STUFF 90% of the time. A Tune??? If U are gonna get a tune on the 320i U might as well get the 328i. The difference in price is about $5K.. and that is a very small amount in terms of Financing or Leasing. Furthermore HOW MUCH IS THAT TUNE??? Because it would have to be a bargain basement price in order to justify all the other things one has to upgrade to get to the 328i they could have just bought for $5K more. As to the 2.5L. Boring dog... I would characteristic any car in this class as that after hopping out of the VSeries model.. or in my case, the day I drive the new 2.5L 8Speed.. my Vette. Its all about perspective, in both brands. No one such as U or me are gonna normally walk into a BMW or Cadillac dealer and buy a 2.5L as a DD expecting it to pull off daredevil tricks like Evel Knievil, but I'll be the first to tell U that the 8speed tends to wake that lil bitch up.. just enough to be noticed. And despite the humble engine, the tuning of the chassis is quite up to snuff to make most feel satisfied. AGAIN.. I personally would opt for the 3.6L or 3.6LTT, no different than I would opt for the 335i or M3. Lastly.. if CUE is maddening to anyone then that person must be ready or a strait-jacket just dealing with their daily use of the IPhone or Android. The biggest gripe I've ever heard about CUE was that it lacks buttons. That's it. That's all. Nothing else. My solution.. use the effin Voice Control or BUTTONS on the steering wheel Idk about 90%, but I DO agree with you on a lot of things. My biggest problem is in your delivery. The 320i may not be anything to write home about, but it's a much better car than it's similarly priced competition- 2.5 ATS, CLA, Acura ILX, Buick Regal. Certainly no justification for saying "F^&* BMW." The ATS is laughable in 2.5 spec, but I still wouldn't use that to dismiss the brand as a whole. I am personally unimpressed with the 8AT in any sporting application thus far. I haven't driven an ATS-V or new Camaro, but in the C7, I just don't feel it is sharp enough and responsive to inputs using the shift paddles. It's great hooked up to trucks and other vehicles, but the best DCT units out there still shame it in sport options. Just my .02. Its a moot point for me anyway, because anything I'd buy that offers the 8AT I would take in manual. And GM's manuals are, by and large, very good. Sometimes they're a little on the notchy, laborous side, but I like that. CUE has improved over the last few years, I'll give it that. The setup I used in an Escalade was decent. Definitely no longer a deal breaker like it would have been in the past. I still don't like it a great deal, and I think it needs to utilize at least a few more buttons than it does. Even as a BMW fan, I have no issue admitting Cadillac is just a few steps away from having a fully cohesive product that surpasses, or at least matches, BMW in every facet. And I hope they do. Competition improves the breed, after all. The question is whether Cadillac will commit to it. These on-paper winners and niche tweeners like the CT6 aren't going to carry the brand. At some point, they HAVE to build the El Miraj's, Ciels, Sixteens, etc they show off every now and again.

400,000 units combined from two brands isn't all that impressive, sorry. And that's not even questioning how many vehicles among those could properly be considered 'luxury'. I mean just earlier, another poster was ripping on the CLA. Last time I checked, you can buy a Buick Verano with the lame duck 2.4, a Regal with a virtually spartan interior, so on and so forth. and truly U can buy a BMW 320i, with its 0-60 in 6.7, and get seriously surprised by a 2016 Chevy Volt 0-60 in 7.1 seconds. Not to mention.. have U been in a BMW 320i??? LMFAO. A Lady friend of mine was duped into buying one.. talk about buyer's remorse and a constant phone call of "how can I break the lease without losing too much." Weak sauce interior... no real options. Eff BMW. A BMW 320i is a far, far better car than a 2.5 ATS. It's the same old vitriol from you as always. First and foremost I stand by my comment. I find it hard to believe that U have been in a new 2.5L ATS coupled to the M5T 8Speed. It actually moves quite nice.. with nice NVH. That being said.. I'll be the first to say that I'd buy NEITHER of these cars with their bottom engines when there are better choices above. Same engine as the 328, but detuned makes it a dull girl Not one with the 8AT, but a 6AT'er. It was a boring dog. Take away the guts of the higher trim levels, and you're left with is that cramped interior and maddening CUE. Hard pass. At least you can get a Track Pkg and 6MT with the 320i. And with a tune, it makes near 328i power levels. It does have smaller brakes and a more restrictive exhaust though. There are also a few other components that prevent it from being able to pick up power as well as the 328.

Sounds like you're going to end up with a pile. Good luck.

400,000 units combined from two brands isn't all that impressive, sorry. And that's not even questioning how many vehicles among those could properly be considered 'luxury'. I mean just earlier, another poster was ripping on the CLA. Last time I checked, you can buy a Buick Verano with the lame duck 2.4, a Regal with a virtually spartan interior, so on and so forth. and truly U can buy a BMW 320i, with its 0-60 in 6.7, and get seriously surprised by a 2016 Chevy Volt 0-60 in 7.1 seconds. Not to mention.. have U been in a BMW 320i??? LMFAO. A Lady friend of mine was duped into buying one.. talk about buyer's remorse and a constant phone call of "how can I break the lease without losing too much." Weak sauce interior... no real options. Eff BMW. A BMW 320i is a far, far better car than a 2.5 ATS. It's the same old vitriol from you as always.

Looks pretty awesome. Too bad VW wouldn't make it like this. And even, it's still not conquering anything more extreme than a moderately rocky/muddy trail.

Absolutely stunning. I would buy this over any comparably priced sport/lux coupe by an avalanche. The 4 Series, RC, and C Coupe look down right dowdy and cheap compared to this. I hope it makes it to production, and does so largely intact.

Looks good, but MB is taking the 'same sausage, different lengths' mentality to dizzying heights.

Not sure I would have used the Pacifica name here. Other than that, looks fairly promising. It's got it's work cut out for it, that's for certain.

400,000 units combined from two brands isn't all that impressive, sorry. And that's not even questioning how many vehicles among those could properly be considered 'luxury'. I mean just earlier, another poster was ripping on the CLA. Last time I checked, you can buy a Buick Verano with the lame duck 2.4, a Regal with a virtually spartan interior, so on and so forth.

Catering to enthusiasts, unfortunately, is NOT what BMW is all about. It's NEVER been what they were all about. Out of their desire to build products that surpassed the competition, and as a result of their motorsports development, they just happened to build cars that generally had the best driving dynamics in comparison to their peers. Building cars that are best in segment and building cars for enthusiasts aren't 100% analogous. If BMW existed solely to cater to enthusiasts, they'd offer nothing but sports cars and supercars. Instead, it can be argued they offer neither. Your suggestion that BMW will become an 'also-ran' is absolutely absurd. They continue to beat out competitors in sales, which obviously means it is a brand that is desirable to a lot of people. The X6/X5 M have both beat out the Cayenne Turbo in comparison tests. They offer superior driving dynamics, better performance, and a fresher package to top it off. Not to mention they're greatly cheaper. If you think the SRT GC remotely competes with the X M's, or is aspired to by enthusiasts anywhere near as much, you're flat out delusional. Porsche, as brought up by another poster, is posting far greater sales numbers with vehicles that don't adhere to the brand's core mantra than what BMW is. Enthusiasts piss and moan about them just as much, if not more, than they do about BMW. Has BMW run off some of it's fan base with cars that aren't clearly class leading? Sure. But it's gotten as bad as it's going to get, and they're still doing fine. Any time BMW is brought up, you're all doom and gloom about them and their future prospects. They're flawed to be sure, but all makers are. I'm on the BMW boards every day, and there is no shortage of enthusiasts that are still loyal to the brand, understand their business model, and buy their new products. The way YOU personally see the brand doesn't define them, nor is it conclusive proof of the brand's demise or failure.

So I guess...its a good thing for BMW to have their original bread and butter car...the 3 Series...lose ground to the X3... And...today...the 3 Series aint even the 3 Series...its the 2 Series...but even that model is not carrying the flame of BMW's mantra, the Ultimate Driving Machine, the very essence and rasion d'etre of BMW. Frisky...please... BMW's bread and butter was the 3 Series. BMW's soul..was the 3 Series. It was and still is (the past generation 3 Series cars) a CULT CLASSIC. The 3 Series is the stuff that legends are made of. Its what propelled BMW into a luxury giant. In 2015/2016, its soccer mom vehicles. MAINSTREAM soccer mom vehicles that drive the image If you dont think that will be a detriment in the not so distant future, I cant help you. It's not necessarily a good or bad thing. It's bad for their image, and I don't like it. But it's good for their profit margins and that's why businesses exist. The 3 Series has grown in size, like all cars. It has gotten a bit too soft, especially in base form, and I hold that against BMW. It appears they took measures to at least partially rectify this with the F30 LCI. And knock it all you wan't but at least BMW still offers a proper manual across the board, along with numerous other options and accessories for enthusiasts. As for the 2 Series, I have no idea why BMW hasn't used that platform to capitalize on the recent explosion of entry level luxury vehicles. It'd be the only proper RWD sedan in the game, after all. But that's neither here nor there. BMW has seen sales drop in their core models mostly on account of competition within BMW's own lineup with SUV's. It sucks, but that's what the market is shifting towards. But it should be neither surprising, nor a criticism to be levied. I share ALL of your feelings in this post, Frisky. With one exception. The last sentence: "But it should be neither surprising, nor a criticism to be levied." It is NOT a surprise...its a sound business judgement to go the SUV route...THAT is where the money is. However, it SHOULD be a criticism when BMW has apparently took their eye off the ball. Using YOUR OWN observations: - The 3 Series has grown in size, like all cars. It has gotten a bit too soft, especially in base form, and I hold that against BMW. It appears they took measures to at least partially rectify this with the F30 LCI. And knock it all you wan't but at least BMW still offers a proper manual across the board, along with numerous other options and accessories for enthusiasts. - As for the 2 Series, I have no idea why BMW hasn't used that platform to capitalize on the recent explosion of entry level luxury vehicles. It'd be the only proper RWD sedan in the game, after all. But that's neither here nor there. Ill repeat Frisky, in the not-so-distant future, if BMW does NOT rectify and offer cars that have stuff that legends are made of...then BMW will just be another run of the mill SUV company. A BMW X6M just does NOT pass muster. Especially since Porsche and M-B and Cadillac all have their say in how luxury SUVs are to be marketed. NOT to mention Jaguar and Bentley and Rolls Royce...and NOT forgetting the SUV and CUV pioneers in GMC and Jeep and Toyota/Lexus. And new commers in Buick, Lincoln and quite possibly Genesis. In the 1980s and 1990s...it was BMW that DICTATED to the world what a sport coupe and sedan is and how it should be. I will clarify my quoted post that which you are misunderstanding. Criticizing BMW for their fine tuning of those cars which are supposed to carry the BMW mantle- the 3 Series and 5 Series- is totally reasonable. As is BMW's failure to fully exploit the 2 Series name and refusal to enter certain market segments- a proper sports roadster, supercar, etc. But the loss of sales to BMW's own SUV's isn't. Everyone is experiencing growth in SUV/CUV sales, and at this point is just seems par for the course. Cadillac's best seller is the XTS, after all. In other words, the 3 and 5 Series could be unanimously heralded as being the best driver's cars in their respective classes, and it likely wouldn't have a notable affect on their sales trends. Catering to enthusiasts isn't going to help their sales numbers. In all honesty, it could very well harm them. That said, I do think BMW is going overboard with their offerings. The X6 and X4 are bad enough, but the 3 and 5 GT are just answers to questions nobody is asking. Even Audi and MB aren't venturing into those waters. As for the X6, while I don't like it, by all accounts it is a very good vehicle, and beats even Porsche at it's own game by offering superior performance and driving dynamics in comparison to the Cayenne. And let's not forget it was the X5 that really founded this segment and made it what it is in the first place. Without the success of it, we may very well not have gotten the bonkers M cars we got in early-mid 2000's. I don't think it's very shocking that a company that was primarily responsible for the proliferation of such vehicles in the first place would see a constant increase in their sales numbers to the point of encroaching on those traditional models' sales.

Who is talking about a new one?

So I guess...its a good thing for BMW to have their original bread and butter car...the 3 Series...lose ground to the X3... And...today...the 3 Series aint even the 3 Series...its the 2 Series...but even that model is not carrying the flame of BMW's mantra, the Ultimate Driving Machine, the very essence and rasion d'etre of BMW. Frisky...please... BMW's bread and butter was the 3 Series. BMW's soul..was the 3 Series. It was and still is (the past generation 3 Series cars) a CULT CLASSIC. The 3 Series is the stuff that legends are made of. Its what propelled BMW into a luxury giant. In 2015/2016, its soccer mom vehicles. MAINSTREAM soccer mom vehicles that drive the image If you dont think that will be a detriment in the not so distant future, I cant help you. It's not necessarily a good or bad thing. It's bad for their image, and I don't like it. But it's good for their profit margins and that's why businesses exist. The 3 Series has grown in size, like all cars. It has gotten a bit too soft, especially in base form, and I hold that against BMW. It appears they took measures to at least partially rectify this with the F30 LCI. And knock it all you wan't but at least BMW still offers a proper manual across the board, along with numerous other options and accessories for enthusiasts. As for the 2 Series, I have no idea why BMW hasn't used that platform to capitalize on the recent explosion of entry level luxury vehicles. It'd be the only proper RWD sedan in the game, after all. But that's neither here nor there. BMW has seen sales drop in their core models mostly on account of competition within BMW's own lineup with SUV's. It sucks, but that's what the market is shifting towards. But it should be neither surprising, nor a criticism to be levied.