pow

Very nice... there aren't many fun sedans for $21K out there. I prefer this infinitely over the 2-door Si. It's a very well-rounded package of efficiency, practicality, performance, and safety.

wagon

Makes sense. The Chinese LaCrosse and SLS have far better interiors than their US counterparts. And let us do our own awesome exteriors.

Interestingly... here's an Armor-Alled up '01 LS430.

In order of "luxuriousness"... 3 - it's luxurious in a neo-classical suburb mansion sort of way; kinda gaudy, but sure, it's luxurious 5 - my favorite one of the bunch; contemporary, art deco; tradition expressed in a very modern and artful manner 6 - business-like luxury; cold and unemotional design, but the switchgear almost look 'engineered' 7 - clean, simple, soft, kinda generic 2 - generic and lacking in modern industrial design, but pleasant nevertheless 4 - looks cheap; a mishmash of unharmonious shapes and cutlines 1 - welcome to 1973 None of these pictures or color combinations are particularly flattering or revealing.

Maybe the first car made-in-China for the US market will be... not a Chery, not a Red Flag... but a Buick..

Okay, then, here's my revisionist edit...

We're talking about the old EPA ratings. And besides, the new ratings aren't out yet.

I'm guessing pressing "mood" alters the color of the ambient lighting? I know the MINI has like 2,231,976 choices. Ditto the Mustang, for the gauges. With that said, the Veracruz is the least likely sort of car to have mood lighting.

Bah. Better late than never, I guess. The Vibe still plays an important role in GM's line-up, as it's their only car that can do 30 MPG in the city.

FWIW, all the full-size trucks have rebates. GMT900 Silverados have $2000, Rams have $5500, Titans have $3750, and F-150s have $3500. In today's LA times... 2007 F-150 Super Crew: $7,570 off 2007 Ram SLT Quad Cab: $11,215 off 2007 Silverado Crew Cab: $7,001 off 2007 Titan XE King Cab: $6,776 off

NHTSA's frontal test is sketchy and antiquated... I'm more interested in the faster IIHS offset results.

http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/categor...2007CadillacSRX Last update was March 9...

Yep, it's a good thing to look like an $80K car.

The Malibu looks like the Jetta's big brother, the $80/160K Phaeton/Flying Spur.

So a few hours ago I was flipping channels between Emeril's Moules a la Mariniere recipe (blegh) and SPEED's Forza Motorsport Challenge infomerical-cum-reality-show, when I happened to come across The O'Reilly Factor. Bill's sharp inward-pointed eyebrows and self-confident smirk just beckoned me to stay a bit longer. And so I did. As popular in these shows, there was a riveting headline. Today's was "Liberals Against Raising Fuel Economy Standards," which was accompanied by a montage of both Pontiac G6 and pump meter stock footage. First he lambasted American automobile manufactuers over an alleged refusal to reduce fuel consumption. To prove his point, he showed Ron Gettelfinger expressing concern over higher CAFE standards. This apparently demonstrates the hypocrisy of liberals like Al Gore, who obviously have control over what one another says. He proceeds to share a heart-warming story about his car-shopping adventure: "My car is six years old, so I need a new one. And I want to buy American. But I can't find a single American car that gets more than 20 MPG. I think all cars should get 30 MPG. The Europeans, the Japanese... " http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,25691,00.html

Exhaust-treatment systems like a particulate filter and urea-secretion, highly precise fuel-injection systems, turbochargers... The things required to make a diesel engine perform, sound, and pollute like a gas engine all cost extra.

You mean additional carbon. Tons of new CO2 still come from the exhaust of a biodiesel-burning car.

Yes, read something by David Sedaris

Example, please? Yeah, you could obtain it from natural gas, but where does that come from?

Biodiesel (and ethanol) release carbon into the atmosphere... the only reason why people say E85 "reduces greenhouses gases" is because of the photosynthesis from corn. Diesels generally do require more maintenance. In our Passat owner's manual I recall extra procedures for TDIs... fuel filter every 20K, draining water separator every 10K, etc. Ultimately the best ICE solution would be a combination of hybrids and diesels. Diesels are great on the highway, while hybrids make perfect sense in stop-and-go traffic. Looking at my instant MPG readout really shows why... when I accelerate, it says I get 7-10 MPG. Now imagine an electric motor doing all that. At 99.9 MPG. And whenever I brake, instead of wasting energy, I'm recharging the batteries.. it's brilliant because it addresses the most inefficient part of motoring.

From Green Car Congress... "Mercedes-Benz has developed BLUETEC in two versions: in the E-Class an oxidation-type catalytic converter and particulate filter are combined with an improved, extremely durable NOx trap system and an additional Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) catalytic converter. The second BLUETEC version is based on a urea-SCR system, and this is the one that will deliver Bin 5 compliance." MB, VW, and BMW will have urea-SCR systems by 2008, making them 50-state legal/Bin 5.

None of the diesel engines available today are Bin 5 certified, making them available in only 45 states. Implementing BLUETEC technology, as MB, VW, and BMW plan to do, will likely make them 50-state legal.

Federal regulations only require Bin 9 (CA's LEV 1). CARB's LEV II goal by 2010 is Bin 5; AFAIK there's nothing beyond that.

Definitely yoga... Several ooojai breaths, downward dogs, child's poses, and you'll be feeling better already