pow

The "oil panic" is here to stay... even if it is artificially created.

Our condo's neighbor is a tiny Asian female who drives a TrailBlazer SS and C5 Corvette (and previously GMC Typhoon)... does that make it 15 bucks?

YES DEFINITELY.... last fill up was $68. For a slow six-cylinder car... not even a V8 muscle car.

I'm not-so-eagerly awaiting for the 300 refresh...

Fuel efficiency before fuel diversity, kiddos...

The old one was much nicer. Ditto the Grand Cherokee. The '99 Limited GC probably had the best Jeep interior ever... so much for progress.

My grandpa has an early '90s Toyota pickup dually. It had a wooden crate, but he replaced it with a huge commercial box a few years ago. I have no idea why... it only has 33K miles.

You could probably find a nice Zephyr with 10K miles for $10K off MSRP, too. While we're into the whole soft luxury theme, how about a Volvo S40 or Acura TSX? They're a little more stylish than what we've mentioned, but like Buick, they're also not-quite-luxury, "premium" brands. Both have some of the most comfortable interiors I've been in.

Makes the Statesman look even more like an S-class.

Saw one yesterday with MFG plates. Looks quite a bit better... but it doesn't really have anything distinctive going for it.

Agreed. I think quietness and refinement are two very different things. You can have a very smooth Porsche flat-six, but it'll definitely be very loud, either at idle or while accelerating. Direct-injected engines like VW's FSI 2.0T are loud at idle (clicking/tapping noises), but you wouldn't mind running some at 6,000 rpm all day long.

Malibu or Accord The Chevy would probably be a bit cheaper; the Honda would probably be a bit nicer.

The Buick Century kills them all.

Our neighbor, a little old Japanese lady, had a black Typhoon, which I'll always remember as the precursor to the X5s and Cayennes of today. Now she has a silver TrailBlazer SS. And a black C5 Corvette. Who ever said that old people drive boring cars?

Easy. Cars as cheap as $14,030 now have stability control and brake assist standard.

I've seen quite a few MKXs (two with "USC TROJAN" plates)... they look good in pearl white. I think it's the styling that is selling it... it's a very distinctive vehicle especially from behind. The grille is unique, too.

Our BMW's inline-six is silky smooth and very refined, but it's rather loud at idle, especially when cold. Our Honda's V6 isn't very smooth (you can start feeling vibrations past 4500 rpm), but it's dead silent at idle. I've tried starting the engine with it running on several occasions.

Based on looks, I'd say Enclave territory! It makes the Range Rover Sport look boring.

OMFG THIS IS GORGEOUS! I love it... especially the whole modern/retro American vacation concept. The flat-panel second generation keypad sounds interesting...

On second though, the Beat isn't bad either. It reminds me of a lime-green Corsa. I still like the Groove more, though. And I still think the Trax is hideous.

I love the Groove... there's something very muscular, simple, and elegant about it. The Beat and Trax look too Korean.

While we're at it... Nissan Altima coupe? VW GTI? Audi A3? BMW 328i coupe? Ford Mustang? Jeep Wrangler Unlimited?

Yes, definitely. BMW's leatherette is so convincing that it's hard to justify spending extra for leather, which is harder to maintain, too. Caddy's new vinyl is certainly better than the dot matrix industrial stuff they were using before.

There's no leather on the dash whatsoever... it's vinyl they're using, and the stitching is what's cool about it.

GM @ NYIAS 2008 Cadillac Marmalade Press Release ALL-NEW 2008 CADILLAC MARMALADE DESIGN INTENDS TO INJECT DRAMATIC CHARACTER INTO THE COMPACT LUXURY SUV CATEGORY NEW YORK – Encouraged by the success of Escalade, Cadillac has introduced the Marmalade Concept, sibling to the iconic full-size sport-utility, to judge popular opinion on such a vehicle. Marmalade adds both the expressive style of Escalade and the hand-stitched interior coverings of CTS to the emerging entry-level luxury crossover segment. Global architecture: key to Marmalade success The all-new Marmalade demonstrates GM’s efficient leveraging of global architectures. Based on the Opel Antara (known as the Saturn VUE in the United States), Marmalade easily delivers Cadillac-exclusive refinement and style to both North American and European consumers. Use of Theta architecture reduces cost and development time without compromise. “Only the windshield, roof, front side windows, and rear tailgate glass are shared with the Antara," said Jim Taylor, Cadillac general manager. "Our global engineering team has already has put together a spectacular car that captures the essence of Cadillac refinement and performance. The addition of Cadillac cues, such as hand-stitched materials, will allow us to rival competitors costing more without costing us.” "Judging by the success of the Escalade and DTS, and the relative failure of the SRX and STS, we believe this formula of style-over-substance will do well for North American consumers. A CTS-based Marmalade might have handled even better [than the Marmalade Concept], but nobody would have noticed the difference, especially with our exclusive hand-stitched materials." Exterior: sporty sophistication meets bling Aggressive and elegant, expressive and sophisticated, the 2008 Cadillac Marmalade exudes a dramatic design presence. This all-new luxury SUV not only pushes Cadillac’s acclaimed design theme higher, but it also pushes Cadillac's acclaimed design theme higher. Marmalade offers sheetmetal exclusive to Cadillac, including distinctive 20-inch, seven-spoke chrome wheels, a tighter tire-to-fender relationship, and detailed chrome vents. "We got an Antara and grafted on Escalade cues with some rudimentary Photoshopping," said Hoon Kim, Cadillac exterior designer. "We did the best we could while still retaining its essential greenhouse." Dimensionally, the 2008 Marmalade measures the same as the Antara (even with the hand-stitched materials), and if Cadillac could have been bothered to put the dimensions here, they would have. But the key thing you should realize is that the Marmalade measures favorably to the BMW X3, Acura RDX, Land Rover Freelander, Infiniti EX concept, and Lexus RX. Interior: performance and elegance combine The 2008 Marmalade emphasizes technical precision with elegant, hand-crafted details. Upper instrument panel and door trim surfaces are hand-cut, sewn and wrapped by expert craftspeople. Given the nasty interiors we've had in the past, we are quite proud of this, and we feel obligated to mention this several times. Hopefully by mentioning "hand-cut", "sewn", "wrapped", and "French-stitching", you will assume that it is leather we are covering the dashboard with. Interior features are thoroughly competitive. They include: ** Heated and cooled front seats, available ** Real-time navigation system, available ** Dynamic front seats, available ** Rear-seat side window rollerblinds, available ** Sapelle Frites Pommes wood trim, available ** Rain-sensing wipers, available ** UltraView sunroof, available ** Rear seat DVD entertainment, available ** Heated steering wheel, available ** Power-folding, auto-dimming mirrors, available ** Rear view camera parking assist, available ** Ultrasonic rear parking assist, available ** Bang & Olufsen 800W sound system, available ** XM satellite radio, available ** Bluetooth integration, available ** Memory for seat, steering wheel, mirrors, available ** Keyless ignition, available ** Heated rear seats, available ** Adaptive cruise control, available And: ** Hand-stitched leather, standard All-wheel drive performance, direct-injection V-6, six-speed automatic The all-new 2008 Cadillac Marmalade has been painstakingly designed and engineered to unite luxury sedan poise and sports car performance. Compared to the Antara, a redesigned chassis, an enhanced engine and transmission lineup and all-wheel drive combine to push the Marmalade further in all directions with more power and performance, enhanced ride quality, quietness and safety. New 3.6L V-6 VVT, FlexFuel, six-speed automatic join powertrain lineup The 2008 Cadillac Marmalade features GM’s new 3.6L direct-injection V-6 VVT engine, delivering an estimated 300 horsepower (223 kW) and 270 lb.-ft. (366 Nm) of torque. This new powerplant is a compelling mixture of power, smoothness, efficiency and technical sophistication. It is a considerable advance over the Antara/VUE's measly 250 horsepower. To demonstrate GM's unending commitment to the environment, the Marmalade will be the first Cadillac to offer E85 FlexFuel technology. This package includes: ** Exclusive fuel tank ** Exclusive fuel pump ** Exclusive fuel rail ** Exclusive fuel lines Our FlexFuel technology is the culmination of millions of investment dollars. Although producing ethanol currently uses more energy than it generates when burned, and although ethanol requires an entire new ethanol infrastructure, we believe that switching to an alternative fuel will reduce our nation's dependence on foreign oil. A plug-in, lithion-ion, dual-mode hybrid, like the one announced for the VUE, will be available "once the battery technology is available," says GM product czar Bob Lutz. EPA mileage estimates for the 2008 Marmalade will be a best-in-class 18/26 MPG. This is double the mileage of the Marmalade's key competitor, the Acura RDX, which averages 9 MPG under the new 2008 EPA city testing procedures. Producing environmentally-conscious cars is a "business neccessity", as GM CEO Rick Wagoner has since stated in Los Angeles, Detroit, Geneva, and now New York. The 2008 Marmalade will be available in both front and all-wheel-drive configurations. A Hydra-Matic six-speed automatic with TAPshift! ™ will be standard. Chassis enhancements include all wheel drive, globally tested suspension In spite of the Marmalade's Theta-derived chassis, exclusive suspension tuning, tire selections, and hand-stitched materials give Marmalade a premium sport sedan driving experience. Magnetic Ride Control is available, while Stabilitrak and precise hydraulic power steering are standard. Large, uprated ventilated disc brakes with panic assist are standard as well. From famed tracks such as Germany’s Nürburgring to everyday roads in the U.S. and China, the Marmalade chassis was exhaustively tested and honed. ALL-NEW 2008 CADILLAC MARMALADE DESIGN INTENDS TO INJECT DRAMATIC CHARACTER INTO THE COMPACT LUXURY SUV CATEGORY Marmalade capitalizes on the success of the iconic Escalade by offering the Escalade's bold, expressive style in a smaller, more practical package. Marmalade offers a combination of acceptable driving dynamics, exceptional interior refinement, and competitive technology that is destined to be popular, all the while requiring a relatively minimal investment from GM. "We got an Antara and grafted on Escalade cues with some rudimentary Photoshopping," said Hoon Kim, Cadillac exterior designer. "We did the best we could while still retaining its essential greenhouse." I'd say build it, GM!