BuddyP

I too drove a non SS Cobalt 2 door and liked it very much. The dress up in the interior was right where I thought it should be for the price.

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070723/auto_talks.html?.v=2 UAW to Hold Talks With Ford, GM Monday July 23, 8:03 am ET By Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer Ford, General Motors Hope to Reduce Labor Costs Through Talks With United Auto Workers DETROIT (AP) -- Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. have more at stake than usual as they begin their traditional talks with United Auto Workers: cutting labor costs may be key to their survival. The traditional handshake ceremonies with the union were to begin Monday with GM in Detroit and Ford in Dearborn, although talks already have been under way for months. The union formally opened negotiations with Chrysler Group on Friday, and the national contracts with all three expire Sept. 14. The three automakers lost a combined $15 billion in 2006 and are in the midst of shrinking themselves and rolling out new vehicles to better compete with Japanese companies. Industry analysts have said reducing labor costs is critical. Ford is in the worst shape of the three, having mortgaged its factories to set up a $23.4 billion line of credit to cover losses and pay operating expenses while it restructures. Ford lost $12.6 billion last year and $282 million in the first quarter of this year, and it doesn't expect to make money again until 2009. Analysts say Ford likely will seek deeper concessions than the other two automakers, perhaps including temporary wage cuts. All three say the talks need to bring them into labor cost parity with Japanese automakers, who make about $2,000 per car more in profits. The Detroit automakers say their hourly labor costs are about $25 more than those of Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. when health care, pension, retiree and other costs are factored in. The Detroit automakers all have the same problems, said Laurie Harbour-Felax, managing director at Stout Risius Ross Inc., who has done detailed studies of auto manufacturing costs. "Ford is probably not as well-positioned as GM today ... but they still have the same issues around health care that are crippling them," Harbour-Felax said. All three must deal with rising health care costs and the "jobs bank," in which companies pay workers most of their salaries when their assembly lines aren't running. She said her studies have shown that the three automakers pay $1,200 to $1,500 per car in health care costs, far more than the Japanese automakers. The UAW, however, has said that labor costs represent only 10 percent of the price of a new vehicle. President Ron Gettelfinger said after talks opened with Chrysler that the jobs bank isn't an issue, because so many workers have left the companies under early retirement and buyout deals negotiated with the union. Harbour-Felax said she agrees with the union that companies must do more to cut costs and become more efficient. All three automakers have said they are moving toward leaner manufacturing and engineering techniques and use of the same architecture globally on multiple models.

What's up with the worthless milage numbers??? 16 hwy?? Doesn't a new heavier Tahoe get 16 city?

small cars WOULD be more popular in the US if there were any decent looking one's on the market

Ah, the grille the HHR should've had since day one, only that bar needs to be lowered a bit.

$10k is horrible, they better soak up about $7k of that to make it resonable. BTW, get rid of those nasty looking wheels also.

Yeah, the back end is horrible. And after seeing the new Accord and 09 Fusion rendering, it's way bland compared to those two.

They're back and heading to China, what a disgrace. http://money.cnn.com/2007/01/23/news/compa...sion=2007012709 "But Nick Reilly, head of GM's operations in the Asia-Pacific region, said GM has no plans to follow the course of Chrysler and import low-priced Chinese cars to the U.S. market." I can't emphisize how glad I am to hear that

Just got back from watching it... yeah, pretty cool movie! And Megan Fox was sooooo......HOT!

Why dont' they just say... "since GM is giving up fleet sales, Toyota has taken those spots which helped them get their Best Ever sales month"

Yet they probably call the Ridgeline "truck based"

What's built in China, can stay in China as far as I'm concerned.

nice looking car, but too much ground clearance, it reminds me of those early '80's AMC Eagles 4x4 car things.

Oh man that is sick!

Here's something I found funny today while watching TV, saw a Tundra ad showing them dropping bags of who knows what in the back end while on a scale. They boast about dropping 2000 lbs in a 1/2 ton truck, a couple weeks ago I just had 2000 lbs worth of landscaping blocks in the back of my 1500 '03 Avalanche lol! 64 blocks at 25 lbs each - 1600 lbs 24 blocks at 5 lbs each - 120 lbs 24 blocks at 7 lbs each - 168 lbs pallet that the blocks set on - 35 lbs ?? 20 lb bag of potting soil 4 people in vehicle

It looks horrible for any type of car. The Smart looks 100 times better.

That is pretty cool looking, kinda "Supra-esque". However the front end makes me instantly think "Porsche"

This is awsome! I have need of a truck but not a need for a HD, I'd be all over a deisel in a 1500 series truck. And 310hp/520 tq... holy shizzz!!!! Put it in the avalanche PLEEEEEEEAAASE!!!

Make a visually appealing vehicle in a nice overall package and people will buy it.... Who'd a thunk it??

any lithium battery I've had in a laptop or cell phone only last's about a year or two before it's shot anyway, but I'd assume the Li-ion battery's for a car would be quit different in design?? Just saying, if they are anything like laptop lithium battery's, they'll be friggin worthless.

It's also a moral issue. It just sucks that the auto industry is coming to this, and unfortunatly as they continue to swap back and forth with China, Toyota will truly be more american than the domestics.

Amen

Yeah, the Aveo is horrible.... I'd take a Focus over the Aveo...Can't believe I just said that!

I haven't heard the whole album but like the songs "Dashboard" and "stop the boat" or whatever it's called.

There's a few guys that are currently using the LS7 in the Pro-Touring scene in 1st gen Camaro's and other late 60's muscle cars. I'd be all up in that also for my '68 if I had the cash, but looks like I'll have to settle for a LS1, LS2 or LS6.