regfootball

the car mags have become useless and self important. they do serve a purpose for test results. but that's about it. 95% of the auto journalists are at a level just below cow dung.

i'm talking H-point mostly

LOL, GM will never learn

if you love dull, the 500 is your machine. i'm already wishing i had done the maxima instead. or galant GTS even. the Impala SS was still a bit dull for my tastes. I wish the Maxx SS had been out when i was buying, i would have taken an honest look at it.

i drove a 2.4/auto HHR when it came out and i agree with you, it needs more gusto/torque, whatever.

again, i will bleat the charge of the dearth of GM desirable offerings for guys like me and you. I agree, guys like us, a loaded Aura or Impala SS or something may cost too much. A Maxx SS has potential but it's not necessarily a slam dunk as far as wanting to have one. Could Chevy just simply make a commuter daily driver friendly Malibu that is GOOD LOOKING, and has either the 3.6vvt or 260hp ecotec turbo and a stick (6 speed auto w- manumatic for the wussies), and a sports handling package, and supportive seats, driver oriented dash and a sunroof and good stereo for a decent price? Apparently that recipe is foreign to GM and Detroit in general. too bad. they could sell em like hotcakes like that.

the camry's upper dash plastics are well done. but the lower part and parts of the door look as cheap as some GM stuff. so the 07 is a mixed bag. toyo is out to cut pennies like everyone else.

who cares about the race? which one has 'nicer plastics'?

the vibe is as tall as the HHR and i know that because i have driven both the caliber is as high as the hhr is also

i like the caliber, but the ridiculously high cowl / mailslot winshield-driver's view and horribly claustrophobic interior is a huge deal breaker.

cars like the HHR, Caliber and Vibe are SUV/crossovers, not traditional hatchbacks. the mazda3 and focus are traditional hatchbacks. the caliber will succeed more because its not a traditional hatchback. that's also why the cobalt HHR exists and not just a cobalt hatchback

congrats on your new LUCERNE!

I like the Maxx SS but I'm gonna seize this opportunity to use this as an example of proof again of how GM has virtually nothing on the market for guys like me and avant who want a car with some gusto and speed and handling but also need it to be a daily driver and wouldn't mind if it was a GM car, and reasonably priced. As far as the gto, I am sure in about 5 minutes you could find a GTO with stick and under 10,000 miles on it for 20-25 grand. They are all over, or at least were the last time i checked. There is a yellow on with stick I've been eyeballing with about 5,000 miles on it, but I need a more weather friendly car with 4 doors. The Maxx SS is decent but its pitiful that GM doesn't have a bunch more better yet to offer to those who want a capably sporty everyday driver. Hey, do you like the Aura? Not like they'll put a stick in it anyways.......

no one really wants cars like that anymore. that's why its an HHR and not a cobalt hatch. more folks want the 'crossover' or spacewagon. need proof? Golfs don't sell, Focus 5 doors aren't common. etc.

i hope people realize that these are the vehicles that could save GM, not CAMAROs. Seriously. In one fell swoop they can wound the now Japanese run minivan segment and they carve a huge niche in the crossover segment. Plus they will steal buyers from the Explorer and Trailblazer set. Lastly, this is a great target vehicle for folks who have only bought sedans before and are looking to drive an 'SUV' for the first time. that said i see flaws here. the interior does not look up to snuff. the same cheap looking corporate radio. i bet the outlook dash is the same. the lambdas are huge products for GM. I think the Ford Edge will burst open the 2 row mid crossover segment. The Lambdas should rule the 3 row segment for GM.

there's a hertz by my house. they always have camry's etc. impala cutting fleet sales means malibu=fleet whore.

my fear? front drive G35 mixed with some new Sentra. The CVT is intriguing, however, the Nissans have so much hp, and I know the Maxima 5 speed auto is good.....if its a good auto tranny with lots of hp, i don't feel it needs a CVT. I hope the CVT is not the only tranny offering. I like the current SE-R. I hope they still offer it.

"we'll see" if Nissan keeps the v6/stick combo. why do i have the feeling that they are going to feminize the altima? they are gonna push this more to the camry side i bet.

just got this from CAR CONNECTION "Nissan Plans New York Debut for New Altima The New York auto show will be the first public display of the new 2007 Nissan Altima, the company confirmed on Wednesday. A new body style arrives in 2007 on a new "D" platform, promising better body rigidity and a newly penned suspension. Nissan's Xtronic CVT will be standard on all models, while the 3.5-liter V-6 and 2.5-liter four-cylinder engines will remain on the roster. On sale in the fall of 2006, the Altima, Nissan says, will be one of the best-performing front-drive sedans on the market."

i was using my father in laws olds 88 as a comparison as he had the same thing done one time about the same time frame. in otherwords a typical volume car just like the accord. the car had a/c. funny you throw that out there, does honda put A/C in their cars?

who cares if it takes -you- five minutes, the thing is that 98% of people today get their car work done somewhere.

it was a coworker, an accord, the alternator had gone out and needed replacement. the work was being done at a genuine honda dealer. cough......robber, whatever.

the ones in my car took up no console space and was right at hand between the seat and the console, and it never interefered with your leg space. in summation, it sacrificed no space, it enhanced function and didn't take up prime leg space on the floor. perfect setup. see post #7 this thread. unless you enjoy snagging your dress pant legs on your footbrake all the time, then its ok....fer sure. or banging it with your foot and leg getting in and out of the car.

"They had to take apart the dash and center console and do multiple road tests." "I might have to trade this car for a m35x" "they wouldn’t replace my front seatbelts that DID not work" "They have pulled the dash down and insulated where it attaches to the firewall, used sound deadening insulation in various ares of the dash and center console, and it still cracks and pops. Worse in the cold weather. This has to be a serious issue, more people must be having this problem. Heck, my wife's Accord is quieter than the GS." "Now mine, after 10,000 miles, has this windshield issue. This car has been a huge let down. My conclusion is that it should be priced at the low 40's. For the kind of money I paid, it is a total rip-off. Steering problems, it handles poorly, under powered, bad in the snow, creaks and rattles. This is my first and last Lexus. I have owned Audi, Cadillac, Mercedes and BMW - all of them blow this car away in virtually every catagory other than the sound system. Also, that "Lexus Service" that people here are always raving about...It's OK, but nothing that Mercedes and Cadillac don't provide. Cadillac was better. Audi was pathetic and I never had BMW service issues, so I don't know. Sorry to be so negative, but honestly, I am embarassed to own this car. People told me was taking a step down when I announced I was buying it, but I was sure that I wasn't. I was wrong."

jeesus, i might have to pop some popcorn and grab a beer.