pow

Impala 3.9 - 18/28 Magnum 5.7 - 15/23 Crown Vic - 15/23 Tahoe 5.3 2WD - 14/20 Impala 3.9 E85 - 13/20 Suburban 6.0 2WD - 12/17 Tahoe 5.3 2WD E85 - 11/15 A hybrid police car would be ideal, given the amount of time cops idle their engines waiting for speeders...

Great pics. The '08 Accord is one of the fresher and more substantial looking midsize sedans. I particularly like the front and rear 3/4 view.

The Reno five-speed gets 23/30.

The 135i could easily take on the previous-gen M3. The 335i gets from 0-60 in 4.8 secs; the 135i is about 250 lbs lighter.

We might replace the Ody for a CX-9. There's a lease going for $299/mo (might be $319, not sure), $0 down, 10.5K miles/yr, 36 mo. It won't be as useful or practical, but it'll be new...

Yeah, and it's slow, clattery, and dirty. If it's not slow, clattery, and dirty, it'll be very expensive. HCCI and Twincharging (a 1.4 TSI emits only 8% more CO2 than a similarly-powerful 2.0 TDI and costs $3100 less) seem to be much more viable technologies.

The 3 has a big engine and guzzles... 26/33. The Versa, btw, isn't that bad if she does a lot of city driving... 30/34. All things considered, though, I'd still take the Fit (33/38).

The Focus has pretty decent fuel economy (27/37, highest for a domestic), and there might be some hatches leftover. It's nowhere as nice or safe as the Fit or Versa, but back in the day, they were great cars.

Both our VW and BMW have full-size spares, but I know the newer 5-series only have donuts because run-flats standard. Tires are a lot wider nowadays; a 275/30-19 spare probably isn't such a good idea.

It's no more than a comparable Civic, Rabbit, or 3.

In your dreams...

Accord, because it doesn't have that weird Monte Carlo-ish tail. The Altima always seemed a bit crude and unrefined to me.

What's wrong with you? Anyway, that was Mark Phelan who wished/wrote that, not Jill Lajdziak.

If you scroll down a few posts, you'll find my original review, which is more descriptive. BTW, we're talking about the '08 Grand Caravan, not Caravans in general. It's not that the '08s are pieces of $h!, but rather some of its rivals do it better.

Sweet. I just hope it doesn't weigh ~5000 lbs.

Will it continue using IMA + traditional eco tricks, or will it be a full-hybrid?

Since they've eliminated the SWB Caravan, that's no longer the case. The starting price may be lower than the Odyssey and Sienna, but if you load them up comparably, it's no cheaper. The base GC doesn't come with cruise control, rear A/C, power rear windows, second row buckets, or even tinted glass. 2008 Grand Caravan SE H Pkg $26,210 (incl dest) cruise, rear A/C, power windows, second row buckets, tinted glass, cloth, steel wheels, CD, ESP, curtain bags 175-hp/4-spd auto 2007 Odyssey LX $26,280 (incl dest) cruise, rear A/C, power windows, second row buckets, tinted glass, cloth, steel wheels, CD, ESP, curtain bags 244-hp/5-spd auto 2008 Grand Caravan SXT L Pkg + leather $31,210 (incl dest) + heated power leather, auto tri-zone A/C, window shades, alloys 197-hp/6-spd auto 2007 Odyssey EX-L $31,730 (incl dest) + heated power leather, auto tri-zone A/C, window shades, alloys 244-hp/5-spd auto To get an engine comparable to (or better than) everybody else's base engine, you have to get the SXT M Pkg, which starts at $31,950 without leather, DVD, or other options. Quest - 235 hp Uplander - 240 hp Odyssey - 244 hp ('07) Sedona/Entourage - 250 hp GC SXT M - 251 hp Odyssey - 268 hp ('08) Sienna - 268 hp

It better drive like a frickin BMW or something "to be best in the industry" because it has to make up for Fisher-Price plastics, inferior 2nd/3rd row comfort, the lack of third row room, substandard leather, the clumsy and shoddily-assembled center console, the flimsy glovebox, the nasty rubber armrests, the stubborn A/C vents, the poor entry/egress...

Agreed. I dare say it's more significant to Pontiac than the G8. The Vibe is a lot more space efficient than the HHR.

No they're not. Period. The Odyssey is so much better at carrying passengers comfortably.

I agree. The new GC looks very fresh compared to blobby Siennas, Odysseys, and Sedonas. Or maybe it's just because it's new (I'm feeling the same way with the new C-class).

It's more about the technology than styling. http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Autos...rticleId=122549 1.8l DiesOtto twin-turbo DI engine with hybrid assist laser road surface scanning suspension

It was from this week's Fifth Gear, and you can download it from BitTorrent or see it on YouTube in a few days, but here's the text and picture online preview. Basically they crashed a '92 Volvo 940 wagon into an '04 Renault Modus supermini. The Volvo weighs 700+ more lbs and is 40" longer than the Renault... On TV Fifth Gear conducts a fascinating world's first crash-test and even the experts can't predict the outcome. Where are you safer - a big old car, or a small new one? We crash a 15 year old Volvo 940 estate, for many people the epitome of a solid and safe family car, into a 3 year old Renault Modus, notable as the first small car to earn a maximum 5 Star safety rating from the European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP). Each vehicle will be travelling at 40mph, so the energy involved is huge. After the test it's clear only one of the drivers would have stood a strong chance of survival. Essential viewing for every motorist. Basically the Modus's passenger cell holds up, with minimal intrusion into the cabin, while the 940's collapses quite a lot more, trapping the dummy inside. It's amazing how much modern car safety has improved, whether it's for accident avoidance, frontal collisions, rear whiplash, or side crashes. Mass still matters (or at least for head-on crashes), but technology can more than make up for it.

I like it. The black hides some of the things I didn't like about the 'bu interior. It looks a bit like the CTS's.

Overall I think it's way better than the Camry and Malibu, but without having driven it, I can't say it's particularly innovative or amazing. Maybe it goes down the road really well -- and Hondas usually do -- but standing still, it's not all that groundbreaking. As fuel_sipping said, it's just the new and improved Accord. It's very ordinary in some ways. Personally I liked the styling. It's a bit awkward in some angles, but sometimes that's what it takes to stand out and be more interesting. It definitely looks more expensive, since it reminds me of the RL, and the thick crease running along the side is classy. The wheels, chrome window outline, side sculpting, and side profile of the rear remind me of an '04 545i. The interior was a pleasing place to spend time in. The seats were very good, the leather was high-quality (all in stock were 4-cylinder EXs, with or without leather), the plastics were pleasing to the eye, and the whole thing felt very roomy (even in width). The steering wheel had a very nice feel, the seating position was good, and the back seats were comfy. There was lots of storage (deep door pockets, front and rear), the gauges were nice, the center armrest had nice stitching, the power seat motors were quiet (electric lumbar), the turn signal stalks had a solid feel, as did the door handles, and I didn't find the secondary controls too hard to use. The major touchpoints were well-designed and high-quality. Its build quality, however, was nothing special. Some of the exterior window weatherstripping fit poorly, and the console plastic near the front footwells was loose. The dash shook if you slammed the glovebox door (which itself was a nice solid thunk), the thin sheetmetal vibrated visibly when you slammed the doors shut, and the HVAC/radio buttons (and there are a lot of them) seemed a bit hollow, stiff, and underdamped. The A/C vents were a bit stiff and brittle to adjust. The current Passat's build quality (solid sheetmetal, properly heavy doors) is still best, IMO. The new Accord is well-priced, and I still think it's best in class. It's good on paper, and it's very pleasant in person. I don't think the physical quality is that much better than the Camry or Malibu, but a lot of its components are presented in a more expensive and pleasing manner. More importantly, it has the basics covered, such as a strong value package and a comfortable interior.