VenSeattle

But Titan... Pontiac's minivan is dead. The Montana SV6 will not be replaced on Lambda. As others have stated, Saturn's version is also in serious jeopardy or DOA. GMC or Buick should get one. I vote Buick. That leaves only two minivans for all of GM: a mainstream minivan for Chevrolet & a luxury minivan for GMC or (preferably) Buick.

The Lambdas have a standard V6 with an available V8.

Remember, the entire GMT900 Debut was originally intended for NAIAS... Correct? So there's part of your reason for a lack-luster NAIAS'06 debut. We've already seen part of it.

The Charger & 300 interiors are still very similar:

I don't understand. Can you elaborate please?

If the minivan is ungainly, ugly, slow, and uncompetitive... then NO, I don't want it anywhere near Buick. But I believe the Lambda minivans will have what it takes for GM to finally be class leading in this segment: AWD, V8 availability, fuel efficient, and enough styling leverage to allow for truly distinctive interiors/exteriors. Buick has several beautiful styling cues that could make a minivan look outstanding and luxurious (does GMC?). A minivan's dashboard is perfect for Buick's traditional horizontal layout. If Buick had complete control over styling, I see no reason why Buick wouldn't be perfect for a luxury minivan. Besides, Buicks are known to be large and accommodating. Seating several occupants in comfort is a key trait for Buick and for a minivan. Also, the luxury minivan would continue to help with GM's repositioning of the BPG brands & dealers above Chevrolet, instead of just being equivalent to Chevrolet. Once again, BPG dealers have moved almost 3 times as many CSVs than Saturn dealers. If Chrysler can move upscale with the T&C, Toyota be viewed as premium with the Sienna, and Honda can be class leading with the Odyssey then I see cause for Buick to receive a minivan that's better than all three of them.

The Lease Guide's percentages are based on MSRP correct? Well, it is good to know that GM's Employee Pricing didn't damage Buick's expected resale value any further. In fact, it went up! I'm pretty sure much of the % depreciation was compensated for in the GMPS incentive. (Yes, I look for silver linings (on occasion) :P)

Hmmm... Let's see: Chevy dealers have moved about 70,000 CSVs this year BPG dealers have moved 40,000 CSVs Saturn dealers have moved 15,000 CSVs Sounds like a smart change to me. But I'd rather Buick retain the minivan because it attracts new families to the dealers and to the auto show displays (I've seen it several times. The Terraza and Rendezvous are the only reason baby carriages are at the Buick display.) Also, the Luxury minivan market is growing. Buick is the perfect place for a luxury minivan. It's a natural step up from Chevrolet. Buick's warranty and standard OnStar could also help win over "on the fence" buyers. Several think that Buick shouldn't have a minivan, but imagine if the minivan was actually a "class leading" luxury minivan with V8 power and AWD. Why would Buick be ashamed to compete with the loaded Siennas, Odysseys, & T&Cs with that in its showroom?

Yeah, I read this earlier on TCC. I think it may end up being an LX vehicle finally worth the price. It has to have a higher quality interior than the current triplets. Hopefully the exterior is more attractive as well.

Finally found a full article: New Chevy Impala and Ford F-150 Win Fleet Segment Awards BTW... Guess who won "Fleet Car of the Year" for 2005: 2005 Chrysler 300 :P

Just got back from mine. A few people had dropped by already but several were calling in to see how late they could arrive (stuck in traffic or working late I guess.) They had 3 at the dealership (two in the showroom and one available to test drive.) I was able to test drive the Lucerne CXL V6 & the LaCrosse CXS (at my request) back to back for a full Buick sedan experience. ----------------- Lucerne CXL V6: As Croc pointed out in another thread, the Lucerne 3800 V6 feels perfectly fine. There's nothing to be ashamed of with the 3800. Acceleration is smooth and powerful. Quiet tuning keeps the engine at a refined rumble. I had no problems entering the highway or passing other vehicles. I predict nearly all LeSabre owners to be completely satisfied and won over with the Lucerne CX & CXL V6. Interior looked very refined. Yes, the lower side of the dash is hard plastic but it has a low-gloss finish and doesn't sound/feel hollow (to me) when tapping on it. It should suffice and hold up well over the years. The instrumentation in the Lucerne is more “blue” than the traditional “sea-foam green”. It looks nice. The individual instrumentation pods give off a 3-D effect that looks classy. Nice. Backseat room want plentiful and the seats comfortable. ----------------- LaCrosse CXS: I never had the chance to drive a LaCrosse before. They had a fully loaded silver CXS w/ebony interior. The ebony interior solves the C&G dubbed "GMCSD" issue with the LaCrosse. Switchgear felt upscale and secure. To me, the plood in the LaCrosse just doesn't look as bad compared to the opinions of others here. Ride is very refined. Very smooth. I'd be perfectly comfortable driving the LaCrosse if that was the price point I was looking in. I'd actually be happy with it anyways. It is a refined vehicle. I didn't sense anything "rental" about the LaCrosse. In the current Malibu, yes... but I just don't see/feel "rental" in the LaCrosse. ----------------- The dealership decided to leave the LaCrosse warmed up and available for others who may want to try both… which I think is a good idea. Driving both emphasizes Buick’s priorities without speaking a word. Getting back into the Park Avenue after the test drive, I realized that the LaCrosse & Lucerne are both quieter than my car. The Quiet-Tuning works. Not only is it more successful at blocking road noise and wind noise, it successfully muffles the mechanicals like A/C & engine roar. It makes a big difference when you realize it. I believe Buick has made a tremendous leap forward with both of these vehicles. They were VERY familiar but still appeared modern & up-to-date with traditional Buick characteristics improved upon (perfected in some ways). I can see younger buyers liking both, while traditional owners will remain satisfied. As a side note, my dealership stated they've already sold five Lucernes in the past 2 weeks and they have several more on the way. I enjoyed tonight. :)

Lambda will definitely be around in 2010, even if it's only for the NA market. Chi was rumored to be based off of Lambda or the G-Platform... so if Lambda is alive and well in 2010, I can still see a variant going towards large FWD/AWD sedans. Oh, and won't Kappa eventually be manufactured in Europe as well? Kappa or Kappa II could eventually join GM's global platform community.

I'm RSVP'd at Bellevue Buick-Pontiac-GMC. Last time I was in there, they had a Red CXS in the showroom. Have they already started on the West Coast? I thought it was at 6:30?

It wasn't just you. Several people on this board think Lucerne is synonymous with Safeway and dairy. Comments like yours continue to perpetuate that idea.

I'm aware that they have different chains. I'm from Texas. Safeway is "Randall's" & "Tom Thumb" in Texas. But Safeway as a whole (including sub-chains) is NOT nationwide. They're primarily in the West & Midwest... From their website (1,800 stores total): Notice they have very little presence (if none at all), throughout most of the US. So most of the country is not aware of Lucerne Dairy products.

Yes, but there really is no connection. It's strictly coincidence. Safeway's dairy brand had no influence over GM naming the new Buick sedan Lucerne. The fact that half the country may not be aware of Safeway's dairy brand means many people will not have that association. A lot of ranting went on in the beginning over GM being STUPID or DUMB for naming the Lucerne after Safeway's dairy brand even though many people in the US don't know it even exists.

PCS, or Precision Control System, was the name Oldsmobile used for GM's 2nd generation of Stabilitrak. The 1st gen Stabilitrak was 2-channel. The 2nd gen Stabilitrak is 4-channel. ..... Floor mats and Vehicle Stability Control are still optional on a $34,000 Avalon limited? :blink:

I have a cousin who has an ES330. The interior is very nice. To clarify, YES I agree with you and bobo with wanting Buick to have interiors with similar quality and refinement as the ES330.

Yes, but Safeway is NOT a nationwide chain. It is not in every state. So I wouldn't assume the entire country would be aware that Lucerne is a particular grocery's dairy line or associate it with Buick’s new sedan.

I'm going. :)

Not anytime soon...

I actually prefer the Audi A8 interior... not necessarily in design, but the materials used. Everything implies "expensive" in the A8: English/British interiors & exteriors always make me think of Buick. GM needs to continue channeling Bentley and Jaguar when designing future Buicks (same interior but different angle as turbo's)

Other than the fact that the LaCrosse starts at $22,900 and the Lexus ES330 starts at $32,300... Let's see what a $22,900 ES330 interior looks like: There's even a significant difference when you compare a $32k Toyota to a $22k Toyota on the same platform and shared mechanics. And in this case, I'd take the $22,900 Buick interior over the $22,900 Toyota interior... and you guys think the LaCrosse wood looks horribly fake.

Lambdas will be debuting with the new 6-sp.

Everything up to this point indicates that the Acadia & Enclave will be heavily differentiated and shouldn't be cross-shopped. We’ll see. But I do think Chevy needs something appropriate to compete against the Highlander/Pilot duo. This is especially true if the Lambdas end up replacing the Trailblazer/Envoy.