FAPTurbo

When I first saw the commercials for the 2nd Gen Nano's, I yelled a pretty loud expletive. My Nano has half the battery life, duller screen, and I payed more for it than the current comparable (4GB) model. And the new one has the slick metal casing, while mine is black plastic that requires a rubber sleeve... Damn technology ... Oh well, my Nano should last me for a long time, and really, it has served me well so far, so why upgrade anyways.

Really? Wow. I guess I'm just used to column shifters, and prefer them over console ones. Our old Mercedes had a console shifter, and it drove my dad nuts. I do tend to equate console shifters with luxuriousness, so Mercedes' move strikes me as a bit odd.

Well great. Now we got a bunch of Democrats along our border... Terrific... The last thing Canada needs is a bunch of protectionists. However, this election is America's and America's only, and I respect America's decision. One of the things I do admire about America's political system is the separate votes on amendments and propositions. I often get the feeling that people in our government don't feel Canadians are smart enough to decide in referendums.

I still think that he shouldn't be killed. I believe a life sentence is warranted, because he'll be able to think about what he has done. He may one day apologize for it.

Changes to the Chevy Cobalt LT Since 2005 2006: A new 171-hp SS trim level, which is available on the Cobalt coupe and sedan. Because this would cause confusion with last year's 205-hp supercharged SS coupe, that trim level is now called SS Supercharged. The remaining trim levels are also renamed: The base trim is now the LS, the former LS is now the LT and the previous LT sedan is now the LTZ. 2007: A few new audio systems and wheel styles debut; a three-spoke steering wheel replaces the former four-spoker and GM's remote vehicle start feature joins the options list. Ups and Downs Ups: Affordable, strong acceleration, smooth and quiet ride, solid brakes, good crash test scores, high fuel mileage. Downs: Cheap interior plastics, cramped backseat, dire lack of interior storage, mediocre fit and finish. The Bottom Line: An agreeable little car that is a step up from the Cavalier it replaces. However, it doesn't measure up to the competition. Recalls and Problem History Recalls: Exterior lighting. The bulb shield can loosen or break because of vibration. If this occurred on a headlamp installed in a vehicle, oncoming drivers may notice additional glare, increasing the risk of a crash. Problem History: 1. Squeaky brake pedal, fixed using lubricant. 2. Stuck sunroof. The dealer repaired it under warranty but it broke again later. Dealer Service Reviews Albertson Chevrolet, Culver City, California April 2006 The Cobalt had an oil change and tire rotation performed at 7,419 miles. We did have to wonder why it cost so much ($30 for a tire rotation and $45.72 for an oil change for a grand total of $75.72) but the service advisor was friendly and the work was performed quickly and efficiently. Santa Monica Auto Group, Santa Monica, California July 2006 With 14,274 miles on the Cobalt we took it in for an oil change and tire rotation, which cost $62.66. We also asked the service advisor to repair the sunroof, which would not open past a certain point. The sunroof was repaired but later malfunctioned again.

Inside Line Link Why We Bought It Chevrolet has never really had anything that could challenge the standouts of the economy-car class, the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. When Chevrolet finally replaced the aging Cavalier with the 2005 Cobalt, our hopes soared. Now Chevy's import fighter had a more powerful engine, sharper styling and a promise of improved build and materials quality. Naturally, we were curious enough to put one into our long-term fleet. We spec'd out a loaded 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt LT sedan. With leather seats, a moonroof, upgraded audio with XM radio and a rear spoiler, it listed for $20,100. With the employee discount and rebates we got it for $17,822. Would this be it — the vehicle that would finally make our staff proclaim, "Hey, everyone, GM finally has a real competitor in this class"? Maybe.... Maybe not.... A year in our long-term fleet would give us an answer. How It Drove Like many mainstream GM vehicles, the Cobalt's chief strength is its strong yet economical powertrain. The 145-horsepower engine is among the most beefy in its class. And although the automatic transmission is a four- and not five-speed unit, the well-spaced gears and quick response make the most of the engine's potential. Time and again, the positive logbook quotes centered on the Cobalt's performance. On a trip from L.A. to Las Vegas, Senior Content Editor Erin Riches found the Cobalt to be a capable long-distance cruiser. She noted, "Good midrange torque from the 2.2-liter engine and quick downshifts from the four-speed automatic transmission give it excellent passing capability." While on a family trip to Yosemite National Park, Senior Consumer Advice Editor Philip Reed found the little Chevy willing and able to serve his needs. Initially, Phil was concerned about the comfort and luggage capacity of the Cobalt. But during the 672-mile round-trip, the rear seat's comfort was judged acceptable — not luxurious, but not a literal pain in the butt, either. Trunk capacity was not an issue, as the 13.9-cubic-foot hold swallowed "our three suitcases, three backpacks and an assortment of hampers, grocery bags and a cooking stove." Phil did fault the Cobalt for having a tight trunk opening, which made loading more difficult, and no pull-down handle in the trunk lid. Facing various ascents, the Cobalt made a good showing. Although downshifts were frequent, the 2.2-liter four was up to the task of maintaining a 70-mph pace while fully laden with passengers and cargo. Phil was also pleased with the fuel-efficiency, as the Cobalt averaged 31.4 mpg for the completed trip. That's impressively close to the 32 mpg highway estimate displayed on the window sticker. Although the Cobalt's handling performance isn't going to cause Mazda 3 engineers any sleepless nights, it managed a curvy road better than we expected. Phil noted on his trip: "While the steering feel is a bit numb, once I got used to it the twisting mountain roads became a romp. Very little body roll was detected at moderate speeds and the Cobalt felt confident and composed on a variety of terrain." But while in interstate slog mode, the Cobalt suffered from a split personality. Although the well-insulated cabin kept road and engine noise well muted, our car suffered from excessive wind noise. Leaky rear window seals made their presence known at speeds over 50 mph, when wind howl would kick in. Senior Photo Editor Scott Jacobs said there was so much wind noise coming from the rear windows he thought one was open. Late in its tour of duty with us, the Cobalt's sunroof also developed a leak when it wouldn't close properly. We had the latter problem fixed, but the vocal rear window seals were not deemed faulty by the dealership. Inside the Cabin The interior of the Cobalt seemed to garner the most complaints from our staff. One editor noted that the Cobalt's backseat is one of the most uncomfortable in the economy sedan class. Another editor said the climate-control knobs feel cheap and sloppy and was amazed that there were no grab handles available for passengers or driver. A front-seat center armrest and a Pioneer stereo are nice features, but the Cobalt suffers from an abundance of hard plastic interior materials, inconsistent build quality and limited storage. Add in cupholders that are incapable of keeping a cup of coffee secure and the Cobalt's interior isn't going to win any hearts over from its direct competitors, the Honda Civic and Mazda 3. Of course, the interior isn't all bad. We found some surprisingly thoughtful features in our Cobalt, such as full illumination of all steering wheel buttons, window buttons, power lock button and power mirror adjustment. The consensus was that the Cobalt is a distinct improvement over its Cavalier predecessor. Summing Up We had hoped the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt LT would challenge the imports that dominate this small-car segment. It is a pretty nice little car, but after a year and 17,000 miles behind the Cobalt's wheel, we don't think Honda, Mazda or Toyota have anything to worry about. Surprisingly, the faults seemed to stem from poor follow-through and lackluster design. The powertrain was often praised. And even the fuel economy was above average. But in the build quality and touch and feel departments — those areas right in front of your nose every day — it was a disappointment. Do good ideas cost more? Foreign carmakers have proved that intelligent design and follow-through on every level are possible. We hope that, while this GM product is a modest step in the right direction, next time it can go all the way. True Market Value at service end: $13,656 What it sold for: $12,100 Depreciation: $5,822 or 32 percent of original paid price Final Odometer Reading: 17,100 Best Fuel Economy: 32.8 mpg Worst Fuel Economy: 17.5 mpg Average Fuel Economy: 26.1 mpg Total Body Repair Costs: None Total Routine Maintenance Costs (over 14 months): $138.38 Additional Maintenance Costs: None Warranty Repairs: Inoperable sunroof Non-Warranty Repairs: None Scheduled Dealer Visits: 2 Unscheduled Dealer Visits: None Days Out of Service: None Breakdowns Stranding Driver: None

Nuts. I really liked the Pacifica. I felt it was one of the few Chrysler's to ooze some elegance and taste. I suppose the parts sharing with Mercedes helped as well. Too bad.

Hmm. Maybe I'll just buy one and hang it in my room And since it'll just be hanging there, I wouldn't care about FI and just get myself a "ZZ572/720"

I was reading a day or so ago that he literally begged a club to not cancel his show because it only had 300 people out of 1,500 spots. I too, think that Spears may have calculated some of this. What better way to generate some PR than to marry some idiot, have kids with him, get fat and get public sympathy and publicity and then divorce the idiot. She comes out looking like the all empowered single mom, which will help change her career.

The big challenge will be to see if people are willing to pay for this vehicle. The 300's moved because they were something different in the near-luxury category. They stood out against the Acura TL's, and Toyota Avalon's. But the Imperial hopes to go toe-to-toe with Lexus and BMW, right? I'm not sure people would be willing to pay for a longer 300C, unless it boasts an impressive interior and build quality.

Heh. I love clicking through this site, even though I don't have an old car to drop a crate engine into. I'm a little surprised that the Small Blocks don't have any Fuel Injection option, but then again, I shouldn't be.

Stinky

Well at least you have a good sound system. The stock 4-Speaker set-up in the truck can leave me wanting. Still, nothing says "Fun" like blasting "Hot For Teacher" or Vince Neils' "Look In Her Eyes" with the windows down! Yo, razor? You mention Jan Hammer in your above post! That's the dude who did Miami Vice's soundtrack, right? I have some of his stuff and I have to be the only 19 year old in a square 100,000,000 kilometers to have it.

Level playing field, eh?

I think it's be funny to see and hear Heavy Metal blasting out of a Mazda Millenia.

Without Hussein and the soon to be expected persecution and possible genocide of the Sunni population, we can soon say hello to another radical Shiite Islamic theocracy which will likely be a carbon copy of Iran or the Taliban or Somalia's ICU... We already have one rogue nation with oil. The last thing this world and the Middle East needs is another rogue nation with oil next door to the other one.

With the car backing in and all those scantily clad dancers, I bet it'll take 2 posts before someone makes a "Junk in the Trunk" comment...

Can we hang the guy who created this abomination along with Hussein? Both have committed Crimes Against Humanity

T4!$ t4R3@D is t3h ghey! Oh, and Stroganoff kicks ass, so that's something.

I've never had one really. I've had one or two assigned, but I guess I'm Teflon because they never stick, despite one massive effort of one of my best friends trying to spread it around If anything, my last name is used sometimes, but that's it.

If they build the engines to FIAT specifications, there should be "few" problems :AH-HA_wink: Same goes for the 'nox's engine. It's built to GM specifications, so it is reliable. Now if they (FIAT) just ordered Chery's regular, run of the mill engines, there'd likely be reliability problems.

In all fairness, I think the Tundra will be a good truck... albeit not a great one. It may boast a slight advantage in the "fit & finish" category compared to the Domestics, and it may hold its own in other aspects... But... I don't see any real deal-breakers on this truck... nothing innovative that'll draw attention from the truck buying public.

Ugh... one one hand, I'm happy to see him go... on the other hand, looking back, in a twisted way, his being in power meant relative stability in the region.

Um, I don't think the 3.6L is a "Northstar" The 3.6L is called the "High-Feature" engine.