pow

2011, maybe.

I went Ford and GM dealer hopping as well. The P-B-G store didn't have anything interesting... no Lucernes or GTOs, so I left. The Ford dealership had pretty much every Ford car, including a blue GT, and I was impressed by the Fusion. They could have worked more on the interior details (more rear thigh support, actual rear headrests, more rear headroom, and a woven headliner, maybe?), but they've got the basics down. The leather, most of the plastics, and the carpeting were high quality. It's good value, too... $23K for a good-looking SE V6 with black leather/white stitching, V6, automatic, and power seat. Even without the piano black finish and climate control, it was a rather nice place to be in. It's the first mainstream domestic sedan I'd consider.

Went to a P-B-C dealership in Torrance, CA today... they said Lucernes won't be arriving until December.

It's very possible... full-throttle acceleration with any car yields horrible fuel consumption. I get 1 MPG when I floor any of our cars. Did it include track use?

Yep, the more I look at it, the more I approve of it. I still think it could be more Cadillac-looking, but OH YES, GM, YOU'VE MADE A PROPER INTERIOR! Honestly, I'm very happy for GM.

That crease that goes from the edge of the D-pillar down into the taillights is pretty cool, and now we know what the standard wheels look like. Ebony interior is much, much nicer than tan. All the materials look fine, and my beefs are limited to the unlock pull thing on the door panels and the non-matching trim on the passenger side dash. Overall, good job with the details, GM. I wonder if the storage compartments in the doors are carpeted.

Hm, I think I know what it is:

That sounds a lot like the Catera to me, which itself was a fine car. Making the price friendlier to more people would be great, but I think it's already a missed opportunity.

The airbag light probably suggests that it's pretty close to the production interior. I've said this before, but I'm not impressed by the Subaru Forester design at all. I would have much preferred a more modern, Astra-like dash. Other than the showcar glitz and glamor, I don't find it any more attractive or distinctive than the Fusion's, Accord's, or even Altima's.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that private schools are the only choice... there are plenty of excellent public schools here, high school and below. We live in the South Bay area of LA, and the PVPUSD and beach cities (Redondo, Manhattan, Hermosa) schools are among the best of the nation. Even inland, there are some serious schools in areas like San Marino or Pasadena.

My sentiments exactly, though I wasn't bold enough to say it.

Or perhaps the Civic was more fun to drive, encouraging the driver to push harder and harder?

Powered by a 197 horsepower 3800 engine? :P Isn't the HF 3.6 VVT not much cheaper to build than the LS1 or LS2?

About the lack of IRS, here's proof... The back doesn't look particularly inviting compared to its competitors. The rearmost seat is like 5 inches from the floor. Access to the second row should be deliberate as well; the B-pillar is still in the way of the footwell, just like the GMT-800s. I guess that's what the Suburban is for, which I look forward to seeing, but most buyers can get that that room in a smaller package with an Expedition or Durango or Armada.

Date Posted 11-11-2005 TROY, Mich. — Saab USA general manager Jay Spenchian has told Inside Line that a new Saab sports car spun off the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky is "not in the plans." Earlier this year, Spenchian hinted that a new sports car was under consideration as "maybe one of our upcoming concepts." GM insiders had said a Saab derivative off the Solstice's Kappa platform was a possibility. The next Saab concept will be a 300-horsepower 9-5 BioPower sedan that will be powered by a 2.3-liter turbo engine and run on ethanol. It will be shown at the Los Angeles auto show and the Detroit auto show in January. Saab introduced a version of the 9-5 BioPower this year in Sweden and Germany. Spenchian said the automaker is using the new concept to test consumer reaction. "We could offer it within the next year and a half in the U.S.," he said. Spenchian said there are no "concrete plans" for a replacement for the 9-2X, which is scheduled to be in production only through the 2007 model year. Saab officials said the company has plans for a crossover vehicle but would not give any specific details. What this means to you: Bad news for Saab enthusiasts who were hoping to get their own version of the Solstice. Good news, perhaps, for those who want more choices in alternative-fuel vehicles.

Personally, I like center consoles. They give a comforting, cocooned, cockpit feel to the interior if they're designed right. Plus, it's nice to have something to rest my right knee against.

Uh oh, that was said of the Escalade's interior. Is it distinctively styled or just tasteful and refined? I'm hoping for the former.

The Grand Vitara has a different engine, transmission, interior, exterior, and frame underneath.

Apple isn't Japanese. Toyota and Nissan are more like Panasonic, Motorola, or Sanyo, makers of unoriginal, flashy, hi-tech silver plastic things that'll become irrelevant in three years.

Fogs are actually optional on the Solstice... wonder what it looks like without them. A black plastic hole? Or did they convert them into DRLs? But how would that save any money...

I have an immune system with the strength of, of... something weak. Yeah...

"YOU PAY WHAT WE PAY, PLUS A HUNDRED BUCKS!"

I suppose GM is a bit of a Microsoft right now. The redesigns of their cars are due to neccessity. I wonder if a designer had an empty sketchpad and some markers when designing the interior and exterior of the Escalade. Or did management just tell them, "We need a new Escalade, here's what we have to work with, and make it look like a Caddy." Judging from Apple, the trick is to be hip AND profitable.

Just spending hard-earned money to buy a car is emotional. Most Lexus and Toyota owners I see seem pretty proud of what they own. The cars aren't exciting to drive or look at, but I suppose owning a reassuring icon of quality is. Car buyers these days are conservative, and whereas nostalgia was iconic for the 1960's maybe, our generation of buyers might seek for icons that are more tangible. With that said, while comforting traits sell well, that's just so... boring. But maybe I'm not the person to say. I don't know. GM needs to attack the forefront of both the reassuring, comfortable, conservative side (with traits like quality) AND the radical, innovative, revolutionary side (with traits like design). The latest Lutz vehicles seem to address only the conservative side.

It's not just the front end... the side is subtley elegant and sophisticated, too. Pasting that grille onto a Malibu won't create the same effect.