BuddyP

I was being sarcastic... I only see Toyota doing this because of the Volt.

FWIW, my 6 mo. old son got $300

Here is why I think GM will sell the Volt easily at $40k in a couple years... keep in mind the Prius cost will go up in that time frame as well... why not, by 2010, pay an extra $5k for 3 times the gas milage?? You may have to log on too see these Prius auctions?? All of these sold except the first one.... '08 Prius "custom" (LOL!) - 3400 miles, "buy it now" $55k.. someone bid $36k on it http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-Trucks...6.c0.m245.l1318 '08 fully loaded 7 miles $33,500 http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-Trucks...6.c0.m245.l1308 '08 USED 1900 miles $31,750 http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-Trucks...6.c0.m245.l1318 '08 USED 5300 miles $27,355 http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-Trucks...6.c0.m245.l1308 '07 USED 6500 miles $26,000 http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-Trucks...6.c0.m245.l1318 '07 USED 20000 miles $25,000 http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-Trucks...6.c0.m245.l1308

list price for Prius is $22k-$28k, but by the sounds of it people are paying over sticker price to get 45 mpg... and what will the "improved" Next Gen Prius be priced at? Let's say the Volt comes in at $35k-$40k, will people pay 25%-30% more for 300% better fuel economy? Will have to wait and see. I personally don't see the benefit of either when I can go pay $15k for a 35mpg Cobalt... better yet, a $10k used Colbalt. It will be interesting to see what happens when the final numbers come out.

http://gm-volt.com/2008/07/28/no-to-beat-b...within-2-years/

Can't imagine why they would be thinking of ditching the NiMh batteries?! http://www.nextautos.com/next-gen-prius-sp...34#gallery-9675

http://gm-volt.com/2008/07/29/its-official...flint-michigan/

http://gm-volt.com/2008/07/30/production-c...lic-after-that/

The thing is, is that the public is paying up to $28k for a USED prius.... yeah, people are stupid!

As we know, they all tell you what you want to hear to get elected... but in the end, we can only hope that whichever one get's elected, that this gets followed through - THIS IS NOT TO BE A POLITICAL THREAD, but posted to show that there still might be some light on the other end. http://gm-volt.com/2008/08/04/obama-promis...e-volt-by-name/

This is great news! But was obviously something that is much needed for a new product like this to emerge in today's public. http://gm-volt.com/2008/08/05/gm-says-chev...-mile-warranty/

That makes very good sense.

Still hard to believe that 40k people buy those camerys each month.

Love the outside, but it deffinatly needs a new interior and a hwy gear.

Here's my thoughts on the rebageing. In the 70's and 80's GM got away with it because the imports hadn't made a stronghold in the US yet. Those were pathetic rebages, take vehicle 'A', throw on a different grill or set of tail lights and it was now brand 'B'. Now, today even though the G6, Malibu, Aura are the same platform, I do not consider them as a rebage. They are different inside and out. The fact that they are in the same price range is fine, it gives me 3 different looking vehicles to choose from. For me, the Aura looks better than the G6, so we chose and Aura (and I like the exterior a bit better than the new Malibu). However the G5 should've never happened. That is a rebadge of the '80's. The only reason for the G5 was that Pontiac dealers.... Dealers... were complaining about not having a small car to sell. GM listens to the dealers too much, allowing them to drive their future direction. While the Traverse is a nice vehicle, 4 Lambdas is over the top, 3 I'm ok with, 4 is overdoing it. And again, the Traverse was nothing more than an answer to the Chevy dealers crying that they needed a crossover. Will it be good for GM? Not sure, crossover sales are flatlined, now GM spend lots of $$$ on altering development of the Traverse because of gripeing dealers.

every quarter has a large "one time charge"

Like the saleman, I too think the Aura is more car for the money over an Astra. On the seat thing and getting in and out a agree with you there as well. I'm 6'-3" and does take some precaution getting in and out, and the seat could deffinatly be another inch or 2 wider. Rear seat leg room is incredible for a midsize car! We have an XR, there is some motor noise inside but nothing bad in any way. More of a "wirr" sound than anything on average accelerations. Sure I have some minor grips, it has auto up window instead of auto down (why not have both?) Don't like the center console armrest material, wish it was like the new Malibu's. I with the interior dome lights were integrated in the rear view mirror vs being above it (they are in my eyes when turned on). Dash vents, when closed, the top 2 slits are still open letting air through?? Why didn't they make the whole vent shut off?? But we are very happy with it, love the motor and drivetrain. Now, this isn't a very fair comparison, but did drive a 3.6L G8. Absolutly loved this car, very comfortable for a person my size! Very comfortable seats. Suspension tuning going in and out of driveways and across railroad tracks is a lot better than the Aura. But was more sluggish than our XR, but I'm sure that's due to heavier weight. A G8 may be the Aura's replacement in a few years??!

Thing is with Saturn, is that I had never even considered buying one until I saw the Aura and Sky concepts at NAIAS a couple years back. Now.... we own a Aura XR. Saturn does not have a strong customer base and to get one they will have to prove themselves with these new models for a few more years. That's the fact of the matter. Pulling the Opel badge into the US just gives the car buyers of the country to gain trust in yet another car brand (even though Opel's been around for years). Sales will not increase with that badge change. Now, problem with the Astra is the nothing better than average fuel economy for a small car, and the sub par interior design. I do however love the looks of the exterior, and in my opinion has one of the better, if not the best, looking small car in the US.

not a big deal, anybody can get those prices any day of the year... it helps being close with a saleman though.

NOOO NOOOO NOOOOOO!!! As long as none of those things come to the US anyway.

Our Aura XR... that you saw at Derek's grad party... has one touch up but not down. Not sure why it can't be both ways? Been to the dealer there on Illinois road a couple times with the Aura for some minor bulliten stuff. I sure like the Astra's exterior but the interior could use some revamping, of course it is a few year old design. It's deffinatly one of the few good looking small cars in this country.

http://www.coulombtech.com/press_releases/...se_20080721.php Coulomb Technologies Announces New Smart Charging Infrastructure for Plug-In Vehicles Smart Charging Stations, Payment Subscriptions and Utility Grid Management Target New Market of Plug-In Vehicles Campbell, CALIF. – July 21, 2008 Coulomb Technologies today announced a smart charging infrastructure for plug-in vehicles. Coulomb has developed a complete solution targeting plug-in vehicles including Extended Range Electric Vehicles, Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles, and Battery Electric Vehicles. Coulomb's ChargePoint™ Network includes public charging stations, a consumer subscription plan and utility grid management technology for electric utility companies to smooth electrical demands on the grid. The infrastructure solution will be showcased with the Saturn Vue Plug-in Hybrid at the Plug-In 2008 Conference & Exposition July 22-24 in San Jose, Calif. in booth 302. According to General Motors vice president of global program management, Jon Lauckner "GM is committed to the success of the plug-in vehicles, including Extended Range Electric Vehicles like the future Chevy Volt, and together with infrastructure solutions like that of Coulomb Technologies, we are all moving closer to the commercialization of plug-in vehicles. Intelligent infrastructure technology like Coulomb's is needed for the rapid adoption of plug-in vehicles and to help address the needs and concerns of drivers, utilities, governments, and parking space owners." Coulomb's ChargePoint Network integrates three unique components into a seamless, scalable, reliable, cost-effective solution. At the edge of the ChargePoint Network are Smartlet™ Charging Stations that are individually controlled through the wireless Smartlet Communications Network and the ChargePoint Network Operating System. Coulomb's core technology includes the elements required to build and enable a smart charging infrastructure for plug-in vehicles. Smartlet Charging Stations: Perform bi-directional energy metering and control, user authentication, and 802.15.4 wireless local area network technology, which enables a subscription model through communication with a data center. Smartlet Communications Network: Provides a high reliability meshed network using 802.15.4 technology and GSM/GRPS technology to communicate with the Network Operating System for user authentication, access control, energy flow control and energy metering. ChargePoint Network Operating System (NOS): Manages the Smartlet Charging Stations through the Smartlet Communications Network. The ChargePoint Network also provides web portals for subscribers, hosts and utilities. Functions include user authentication, access control, energy flow control, location management, utility company policy administration, user portal, host property portal, utility portal and GPS system interface. "Major automakers have announced delivery of plug-in vehicles to the U.S. marketplace by 2010. But with 54 million garages for the 247 million registered passenger vehicles in the U.S. today, most consumers do not have a way to charge a plug-in vehicle." said Richard Lowenthal CEO of Coulomb Technologies. "We have developed a scalable, smart charging infrastructure that provides municipalities and parking lot owners a recurring income stream through public charging stations that are easy to install and maintain. Our complete technology solution also provides electric utility companies a means to control the load that plug-in vehicles put on the grid and a means to compute and implement taxes on electricity as a transportation fuel." Coulomb Technologies has two inter-related businesses: a product sales business and a service business. Smartlet Charging Stations are sold to municipalities and parking lot owners as capital equipment in a business-to-business model. Charging access is sold to drivers of plug-in vehicles as a subscription service in a business-to-consumer model. Both the Smartlet Charging Stations and ChargePoint Network Operating System will be available in Q4 2008. "Through an innovative partnership with Coulomb Technologies, San Jose is demonstrating environmental leadership and fostering the growth of our clean tech businesses," said Mayor Chuck Reed. "Our goal is to be the first city in the United States to demonstrate and offer opportunities for residents to charge electric vehicles from streetlights and other infrastructure. Doing so will help the City meet its Green Vision goals." About Coulomb Coulomb Technologies, headquartered in Campbell, California offers a family of products and services that provide a smart charging infrastructure for plug-in vehicles. Coulomb's ChargePoint Network addresses needs of drivers, utilities, governments, and parking space owners. For more information, please visit www.coulombtech.com. Smartlet and ChargePoint are trademarks of Coulomb Technologies, Inc. in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

Apparently the US will not see the Beat, and may not even see the Cruze for quit some time. http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/15/lutz-no...ay-insignia-st/ "So what about the Chevy Beat? The subcompact hatch is slated to arrive in Europe next year as the Spark, replacing the vehicle that shares the same name. However, GM didn't intend for the Beat (or Spark) to be offered in the U.S., so it doesn't meet federal safety and crash standards. It would take too much money and about two years to bring the Beat up to snuff for sales in the U.S., so Lutz conceded that it wouldn't be coming to the U.S. until the next generation arrives... whenever that is." "In more unfortunate news, the Chevrolet Cruze, set to debut in Paris and with sales beginning next year in Europe, won't be replacing the Cobalt in the U.S. anytime soon. Lutz maintains that the current Cobalt is "no where near the end of its life-cycle" and that it's "finally coming into its own" in the U.S. market. When the Cruze does debut, expect an interior that's a cross between the Cobalt and the Malibu, and powered by a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-pot that will get 40+ mpg"

Chevrolet, Pontiac..... and Saturn And all above Toda!

Pull the fleet sales out of the equation and Saturn may have a better share than Pontiac. The last GP update was a major hurt to Pontiac. The G5 was nothing more than GM answering the bitching dealers. If GM wants to survive, they need to start telling thier dealer what they will do, not the dealers telling GM what they "want"