regfootball

update on this thread regarding the optional H/K audio. this is an expensive option. I stopped by Buick store to further examine the optional audio, more specifically to judge the sound and armed with DVD-Audio discs and another DTS audio disc....determine if the sound system was worth the money and if it had the chops to blow you away on sound. my test drives of the Regal before revealed what i call unacceptable sound quality. I had hoped that 5.1 channels of discrete, high resolution sound could improve the sound in there but i have to say despite a large amount of time with tone adjustments, you just cannot get what you want for sound out of this system. Or your money's worth, for that matter. The sound is not clear enough, but the biggest problem is just that the speakers must be really poor too and the power behind the system is not premium. If there is anything that should give music the opp to shine its a 5.1 high res DVD-A disc. Which, give it props, the Regal's H/K audio system DOES PLAY. With full menus and all. Buick should remove the power restrictions and other electronic and programming hindrances to this system....and likewise put some actual quality speakers in it. I had always been wanting to be able to possibly have a car that could play my DVD-A collection. Doesn't matter now. Between the signal the system feeds to the speakers and speakers itself, its pointless to bother with anything pertaining to 'quality' audio on this Regal. You might as well stick with the base sound since both setups suck anyways.

your response is EXACTLY why I said....."do you want to assign yourself to it, or not?" Also I said its flaws were merely something to mark on the scorecard and not a deal breaker. So if you read between the lines, it's praise for being unique, and being a good product, and just really otherwise not what I might gravitate to, but I can surely get the appeal it has for others. mechanically, Nissan has it sorted out for the most part, right out of the gate. Its got a huge upside on the value scale. It provokes a response. On those things alone, major props to Nissan.

look better in the shade........

Hey, I'm not lovin it either but just as a device its more than capable. When I said 'do you wanna assign yourself to it, or not' I should have said, 'um, ok go ahead you be the one to drive one first'. The looks do not do it for me either. This from a former Aztek owner. This will probably subject me to criticism but I will say it anyways. The premise of this vehicle is interesting. The design just does not. One vehicle I like that i know many others don't is the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. The reason I like it is just that it is simply a small responsive, tall, all weather hatchback. To some degree this is the same class of vehicle. Tall, all weather, compact hatchback. If the Outlander Sport ever gets the 237hp Ralliart turbo and a 6 speed and brings the attitude with it that this does, then I really would like that package (that has more space in the front and a little more usable back seat and trunk while still being a light and small vehicle). Like a tall detuned Evo. By the way, I started with whiskey this evening. Moved to long island teas, what are they serving at the ranch your way tonight? If it pleases the court, I am very interested in pursuing either a Cruze Eco or a Malibu LS or LT as a possible vehicle lease in the near term to replace my Cobalt. I do still have eyes for the home team........

no doubt Balthy is looking for the SE sports model Sienna......

driven (quick spin) 2011 Nissan Juke SV CVT AWD blue, dark interior MSRP like between 21 and 22 HIGHS responsive CVT (makes you wonder why we have stepped trannies) no turbo lag NUTS (lots of power). point. shoot. go! refined engine idle to redline. quick revs. power everywhere. looks that a mother can love. spot on driving height. unique interior design theme. the aura of the vehicle conveys "let's go!". attitude. nice gauges. otherwise fairly decent ergonomics and controls. slot car (or almost) handling. quick steering, good feel. otherwise, surprisingly decent ride to go with it. low price. adjustable programming on the transmission is not at all a gimmick and works nicely. low rpm at 75 mph, just a bit under 2500 compact size means vehicle can get anywhere. all weather ability. LOWS cabin noise at speed, in general would benefit from noise insulation and vibration isolation. cabin claustrophobia and visibility small cargo hold (expected but not excused) small back seat (expected but again not entirely excused) tight front quarters (which actually are just 'intimate', sometimes a bit of stretchout room is ok. overall not much for cabin room cheap interior materials that get quick scratch damage, seat cloth is a bit burlappy "looks only a mother could love"; freakazoid front end somewhat unimaginative center stack controls considering how expressive the car's design is elsewhere did I mention that the looks are not entirely appealing? (except from some angles) SUMMARY this vehicle is pretty easy to peg. It's small, fun, and tight, and will fit your budget. I will say this though. I have not driven a Mini, but I cannot imagine the parallel here entirely. The Mini is a car, and this feels more like some sort of rally machine. In any case, I can see the appeal for some. It goes nicely, has snappy handling, and conveys attitude. This really is a vehicle that should not be considered by someone who needs a lot of space. It's intimate and it's a little claustrophobic. But it's fun. The CVT mated to the turbo is a winner. The tranny is trans-parent. It never enters your mind that this is a stepless tranny, and you do not miss it. You just gas it and go. The normal, sport, and eco modes indeed are each entirely different and enhance your driving and they can be changed on the fly. I cannot envision why anyone could want the front drive manual Juke, but it may be worth a drive for comparison. I cannot envision rowing the gears close to fast enough to keep up with how RIGHT NOW this thing adjusts to the moment, especially in sport mode. Roll on acceleration is very good. It really does come down to looks here. And attitude. This is different, and unique. Do you want to assign yourself to it, or not? Even if I were just single and didn't need a vehicle with more space, I would have to consider first off, is it fun. But then secondly where this fails for me is is it just my cup of tea? I would probably say not. But dynamically its nailed down and the price and value cannot be questioned. At the end of the day the major issue for me is some residual NVH of sound attenuation and claustrophobia. We've seen just enough of the newer small and cheap vehicles come out recently that mitigate that sound issue in a better way to make the experience more pleasing without destroying the fun factor. It's not a deal breaker here.....just something to mark on the scorecard. Fun factor + value - sound level and small confines equals..... B+

hey! bite your tongue! my five hundred was a nice ride!

nuts for a 5000 vehicle to move out like that. you could get an entire sorority of college girls in there for a Charlie Sheen style bender.

lmao

it's not priced too high if you carjack it

will get this review up later

Quick Drive: 2011 VW Jettas SE with convenience automatic - SEL manual Some comments will be together but others will address the different trim levels. HIGHS 'classic' (cough) and 'safe' (cough), ok, we'll call it 'tidy' styling decent amount of KIT for the price more then deserved AMOUNT of power German 'engineering' is prevalent....regardless of where it was built cabin space and trunk space go beyond what is expected in class. leg room is abundant all around. non invasive cabin. solid road feel. good steering feel (with exception noted below) good road trip car, cruises nicely at high speed (with exception noted below) good transmissions nice feeling steering wheel user friendly as far as controls. nice gauges. center stack laid out logically despite not being 'sport seats' they are comfortable and provide good support fake leather is ok, it sometimes is even nice nice visibility good shifter. if you like to push, tug on, wrap your hand around and caress a knob....VW never lets you down. responsive manumatic unexpectedly low rpm at freeway speeds (auto, 2500 rpm at 75 mph.... manual about 2400 rpm at that speed) doors have DETENTE and open and close with an anally solid THUNK! (otherwise German engineers couldn't sleep at night) rear center armrest is excellent. perhaps Cadillac could learn a thing or two from this Jetta. GERMAN CAR SMELL!!!!!!!!! regardless of wherever on the face of God's green earth it was built. (opels smell this way too!) solid like the last Jetta despite less weight no need to ever buy Armor All, I don't foresee a scenario where the plastics inside will ever lose their gloss. LOWS starter button on the SEL is in a really stupid location wind noise at speed 5 cylinder engine needs to be gone. coarse idle with ever present vibration in the cabin and seats, mostly at idle and low rpm poor throttle response less than expected low end torque engine not crazy about revving cabin noise, particularly at speed. Cruze please? the armrest would actually be useful if I could slide it forward (at least you get an armrest on the SE and SEL) draconian feeling and acting climate controls steering mush and slop (see below, SE model) bad bad clutch. super long travel. awkward path. late late engagement. CLUTCH ISSUES! no 6th gear on the manual power mirror controls on door oriented towards the mythical travel assistant who is sitting at a right angle to you, the driver (ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, LET'S ALL FORM A CIRCLE AND SAY IT TOGETHER) REALLY CHEAP PLASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lather rinse, repeat. REALLY CHEAP PLASTIC!!!!!!!! car hops at speed (like the previous Jetta) WHERE IS THE USB port?????? doesn't the steering wheel telescope????? this would have been a bangup in car in like, 2002 SUMMARY It may seem like I am harsh here. And let my point out, I just am not in on the club here. VW has a loyal following and appreciation in this country for their undoubtedly fine hardware which I never have seemed to be able to acquire a taste for myself. Guilty. I was born and bred and raised on so much Detroit iron, I don't think I could ever fully understand the appeal of VW's..more specifically those since the really good 98 Passat hit the streets. That is not to say I don't like them and I have to admit I have tried countless time to acquire the taste for them. From a driving standpoint, one of the cars I like a lot is the 06+ Passat. But so many times I have tried to assimilate myself into liking the VW's and it just hasn't clicked with me. That is in NO way to say VW's are bad. Clearly they have produced lots of quality stuff. How it is relevant here.....VW plans to take over the world, car owner by car owner at a time. And in this country they have a mandate. SELL SELL SELL. So no doubt if VW is to meet its goals, they have to go beyond their traditional loyal and savvy base and get to the minds and hearts of people like me. People's car is sometimes said about VW. Well, then that means you have dumb it down....or REFINE it a little so the masses liken it to really good vanilla over time. Where I see this car is that it still is more of a VW and not enough of a Toyota.....or a Chevy. I could wrap up this article by simply saying the Cruze is a better car for most folks and we could all hug and kiss, and go to sleep. But here is the deal. This Jetta to me still is like all the other VW's of recent....watered down and cheapened a bit, but still is an ok CONSUMER PRODUCT. It leaves you wanting more and yet satisfying some of things a VW fan may like and is still used to in the process. So I'm not sure its right for me to offer any damnation to this car since i guess 'I don't understand it'. I am certain by now I am not VW material. But neither were those fat older gray haired women in the showroom today either. The ones who were going on and on about how the Jetta has FIVE cylinders and not 4 or 6. An ODD number Middle America doesn't stomach ODD very well. 800k annual sales goals do not account for ODD. Which really gets to the core of the main criticisms of this car for me. The five cylinder engine provides big power numbers. At higher speeds this engine provides good roll on power. The engine is entirely ill suited to the purpose of this car. it doesn't matter whether its the stick or the automatic. Where the Cruze's trannsmission is the big problem, here in the VW, the engine is the other ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM. Power is ample after a certain speed. When you pull away from a stoplight with the automatic you are just sitting there WAITING for the whole rig to get moving. Lethargy. Overhead. Screen saver. Is it dreadful? well, other cars don't have it. So it depends on what else you like about the car. Deal breaker? Hard to say, but for me, yes. Because the car would be so much more realized with a simple nice 2.0 direct injection four cylinder. Or like that, with a turbo. I can tell they have smoothed out the 5 from the prior Jettas but it still makes no sense. Time for VW to move on. The car is indeed fast enough and capable enough to be a very good long distance rig. It's just the that 5 cylinder needs better response, better low end, better mpg, less vibration, less growl. DONE. Otherwise the impression that is most prevalent is how the cheap plastic and boring interior design ruin it for you. Is it offensive? No. The room and space may be the savior. Is the interior timeless or thoughtless? Tyrannical? Treacherous? I wish I could rest my arm comfortably enough to think about it. Need to file your fingernails after cutting them? Just run them across the trim inserts on the doors above the armrest and that should take care of it. The SE was the one I drove first. What was the first off putting thing was all the slop and mush initially in the steering before you would feel anything. Must be the tires, I thought. Got out of the car, and sure enough, those same damn Hankook Optimo tires that are on my Cobalt. On the Jetta it kills the steering compared to the SEL. Instantly I noticed the difference between the SE and SEL....the SEL has Continental tires and larger wheels. The initial slop and mush was gone on the SEL. After that, a very nice ride and handling car that is stable and secure, ready for a long trip. Only hindrances being the wind noise, cabin noise, vibration, and slight hop at high speeds. Absolutely the Cruze is the vehicle with better dynamics all around although the level of difference is not such to get worked up about. A note about the rear seat. I spent about 5 minutes just sitting in the back of an SEL in the show floor with the front seat adjusted to my bod and in back with the armrest (that you don't get in a CTS coupe by the way) down I stretched out and just sat there, feeling comfortable. It was a nice place to be. This alone might sell the Jetta to some folks, to not have the roof coming down right on top their bald spot. It may seem like i am ragging on the car. that is not the case. This is a pretty good car. It's got a lot competition now and the cheapening of it doesn't help it as far as the interior and stuff. So where I am at; For a company that wants to like triple sales in the U.S. means an increased level of criticism on the gaffes. You just can't make the effort on a huge volume push (dealer guy said VW just keeps flooding them with cars) without putting in the right powerplant for the car and class. A simple current tech smooth 4 banger would do the trick. Problem solved. This alone would cover most of my beefs with the car. Throttle response, noise, torque, smoothness, revvability, gas mileage, vibration.......but if they did that then they couldn't soak you for a TDI or for the eventual (expensive) turbo. Aside from this, the problem resides in the subpar interior. Cheap materials, dull dated design, lack of amenities. Like a simple pleasing place to rest your weary arm, that you otherwise would have to get into the contrarily posh back seat for. Of course, VW does have a leg up on Cadillac in this regard in the back seat. If this what the essence of the VW experience and history is, then I will politely decline their request to assist them in the takeover of the world...or US auto market. VW, come back when you truly understand US. Nice try though. I am going to keep looking at this Cruze color palette. grade - B Related: Volkswagen brings us the Jetta we've been waiting for - 2012 Jetta GLI revealed 2012 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Gallery January 2011 Sales: Volkswagen of America

I know y'all have been waiting for this one (right). I did this one a couple weeks ago. Let me explain. I was at a used dealer scoping out something and they had a used 2011 Kia Sedona cranberry red sitting there. Always sort of looking at family cars, I asked if I could grab some keys and so I took it for a quick spin. Reason: I had read that the Sedona had inherited the revisions to the corporate Kia v6 as well as the 6 speed automatic. So I wanted to see how refined and what sort of nuts it had since i had read an article about it recently. HIGHS Strong, smooth powertrain Space Value for the dollar 'Good' level of refinement Visibility Decent basic interior arrangement updated tech (bluetooth, USB) usable manumatic ok ride and handling for a van. stable and secure. LOWS Dated styling inside and out Plastics and cloths from a previous decade ergonomics and controls from a previous era in time second row seats fold and tumble only feels HUGE tall center of gravity feels like you are driving a bus (although not a terribly sloppy one) this is the OLD Kia surpassed by the competition SUMMARY Not really worth writing a lot about but the main gist of this review was to sample the powertrain and I must say it is quite good. Which is to say its up to par with any other v6 today. The van for a van had nuts. The rest of the van......well, time moves on. There's no real functional fault with it as a commodity. Space and function are provided. You can make handsfree calls and plug in a flash drive. If you are big and large there is plenty of room to spread out. I did not examine any of the child toting aspects of the vehicle. For the prices these are going for these days, and the price of everything else if you are looking at a van, it's probably ok. It's hard to justify one though, with all the new updates on the Chrysler vans. Your money is probably better spent on those to be honest, as well as any other choice. there is no unique selling proposition to this Kia. While not a bad vehicle, the best way to classify it is that its now a cellar dweller in its class. By no means is it such to give it a D. I will say C- plus factoring in the new engine and trans and we'll just be pleasant and give it a C.

the man! Perhaps his little vacation is winding down and he will be back in the kingpin seat very soon......

dodge 'tongue darts' SORRY IT WAS JUST SUCH A SET UP!

I wanted to comment on the Fuelmax tires. I drove the Eco and was expecting that I would be slipping and sliding all over (snowy roads) and it did not seem much if at all different than a normal all season for wet traction. If anything having driven an LTZ earlier I actually thought the Fuelmax may have been a little better in the wet. Normally extremely low resistance tires are terrible in all other facets and are narrow. On the Cruze these tires are wide and beefy and the sidewall is pretty stiff, too. The handling is really good. I would be curious to know what the replacement cost and treadwear is. Aside from that, not actually driving in torrential rains or deep fluffy snow with them or on black ice my initial impression is to give them an endorsement. A huge gripe I have on the Eco is the reduced fuel capacity. Aside from the armrest and 3rd headrest. But yeah, on a hypermile car where you want to brag about how far you can go on one tank, it's sort of a kick in the ass to have a smaller fuel tank. Of course anything over 200 miles outdoes my bladder anyways. I think if GM gets serious about an Eco type cruze automatic, they will need speed a lot of time refining the gears and such in the current 6 speed or look really hard at a CVT. I think a lot of what Dwight is trying to do here is get the engine so that they can regear the 6 speed and make it more efficient than it is now. And in the process get more power out of it so its not working like a hamster in a wheel so much. Whatever they can do in this regard I am all for.

thumbs up! congrats!

that picture of the seville gives me imagery of ancient romans riding a horse and chariot. or maybe i just need to see a shrink.

trim packages for the Spark Spark "LS" crank windows speedometer air vents wipers manual mirrors Spark "LT1" adds radio with pushbutton power switch and volume knob, 2 speaker upgraded instrument panel warning lights and tachometer cigarette lighter outlet cupholder Spark "LT2" adds 2nd cupholder rear speakers map pockets in back of seat 3 line display on radio "Spark" logo embossed into airbag cover air conditioning upgraded hubcaps simulated leather cover on gear shift "Spark LTZ" extendable sun visor storage for sunglasses armrest (driver only, passenger armrest remains an option) Color selectable LED instrument panel display Rear seatback assist strap for folding seat chill zone pressed steel wheels with 'dayglo metallic' paint speaker upgrade (2 way speakers instead of single speaker) chrome trim rings on radio and climate control popular option group floor mats air freshener ("spark scented") LED crotch accent lighting sheepskin steering wheel wrap panties hanging from the mirror (carefully routed so as not to obstruct the OnStar button) luxury option group power windows (front only) cruise control (automatic only) keyless entry with power locks

Autoblog Cruze ECO test drive

don't like the Kleenex boxes?

In relation to the US market, the Jetta is still and is still marketed as a compact, and in that aspect, to the sedan buyer....the interior size is a major selling point. The Jetta is not trying to be a midsize. It just says, hey we are a compact with SOME actual leg room in the back. Remember, the new Passat is coming. Besides, most Jettas that have been sold in the last ten years are puff cruisers, and a lot to chicks / women and others who really only wanted a mall cruiser. VERY FEW Jettas buyers have been performance minded.

Jetta sells so little over there I don't think the Jetta size there has much negative impact.

now she is exiled to the tundra but I bet she is still sa-mokin regarding the sedan spread. Spark, not really a sedan. this is the car to sedate the ecoweenies. Sonic, chevy's inexpensive but real car. Cruze, fills the void where Grand Ams played. This buyer wants a smaller car with amenities, solid feel, features, and mpg. A car for the younger set. Malibu, the classic midsize, vanilla sedan for the masses with a chevy twist and high function. Impala, for those that want a large solid car and more room than the status quo midsize. FWD because that is what sells to the masses. "SS" the Zeta, for the performance set. The police car is more like a fleet van...a purpose built vehicle. THe Epsilon 2 Impala has way more sales potential than the Caprice. And either way, neither will sell so much because the large car market is limited. Chevy actually is still making tons of Impalas, but they are perceived now as a larger midsize. When the Malibu gets more functional, if the Impala grows, it may actually lose sales. But it should sell for lots more money. The SS is for those who need a performance sedan. If it comes. Low volume. I don't think this is a problem. Chevy can blanket the sedan market and always have a fresh new entry every year. And that way they stay relevent.

oh I know! absolutely. thing is, those last few model years were so rare, too.......you'd have something special and IMO a more prestigious car than say, a Bonneville if you are looking to stay GM. Plus, it's a Caddy but its not a fuddy wagon like say, my dad's DTS. http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=p&car_id=290363151&dealer_id=65875045&car_year=2002&doors=&systime=&listingCounter=0&adModel=ELDO&search_lang=en&start_year=1992&highlightFirstMakeModel=&drive=&rdm=1296859371896&marketZipError=false&advanced=&keywords_display=&sownerid=100000458&lastBeginningStartYear=1981&spotlightCounter=0&make2=&certified=&engine=&adBodyStyle=&transmission=&useBIRF=true&sort_type=priceDESC&adClassSeries=&max_price=&make=CAD&useImpressions=true&model=ELDO&useJSON=true&keywordsfyc=&keywordsrep=&search_type=used&distance=300&min_price=&fuel=&listingPriority=30&flip=a&end_year=2012&showZipError=y&page_location=findacar::ispsearchform&body_code=0&default_sort=newsortbyprice_DESC&max_mileage=&color=&address=55379&adMake=CAD&videoSpotlightType=a&awsp=false&num_records=25&seller_type=b&cardist=338 look at the picture of the backseat. this is the proper way to trim out the rear seat of a cadillac coupe.