pow

Congrats. The TL is a comfy ride. But I've always thought the GTI was the least "harsh" hot hatch out there.

Great idea. It's more subway or light rail than bus, but it's less expensive than those current options -- no need to deal with digging or grade separations.

Ignoring hybrid technology, which is fundamentally a very simple concept (capturing waste energy and converting it into power), because it currently makes up a small percentage of the market is incredibly shortsighted. Even Porsche, Ferrari, and Mercedes are moving forward with hybrid propulsion, and it'll do the Cadillac brand no favors if it appears they have to be dragged kicking and screaming into making improvements in vehicle technology and efficiency. If GM invests in hybrid car production only after it becomes commonplace, then they will be several steps behind the curve. Imagine if Cadillac became an all-hybrid brand. Imagine the statement *that* would have on the luxury car market.

Equinox has the exterior dimensions of a midsize SUV like Ford Edge, but its interior and pricing is closer to a compact like Sportage, CR-V, RAV4, etc.

BMW 335d? Eats up the miles like no other...

Regal's seats are sooo nice. Very supportive and very German. Nice leather, too... way nicer than the shiny, plasticky stuff on the Malibu.

When I lived in HK, each bathroom was equipped with its own tankless LPG water heater. They're maintained by Shell and were fairly inexpensive, and more important, they were quick and effective at making water hot. Some units had solar heaters though I don't know how those work..

The owner of the G8 modified the lights. The OEM lights are fine. Around here, though, cops probably wouldn't have noticed or been bothered to care.

Sorry, greater Los Angeles area then.

I think the Sonata looks pretty good, so long as it's in SE spec with the 18" wheels. Looks classy in darker colors... not blobby like a Solara. Internet MPG claims, though, are never reliable. Your mileage will vary.

'02 - Just became a teenager... wow.

Regal definitely isn't a "numbers" car. When you compare spec-by-spec with Sonata, it's screwed in every way. And it's not particularly exciting or distinctive. Instead it's a solidly engineered German car that does the "intangibles" well, which can be a difficult trait to relay to consumers. As for California, ironically it's environmental policies exist in part to address and correct years of laissez faire and unplanned development. If Los Angeles weren't completely manipulatable by industry interests in its earlier years, we'd still have our rail car system, far less sprawl, fewer health hazards, and so on. Our regulations are a direct response to real problems within our state, grounded in reality, and we have a right to address them. Any spillover effects to other states are simple economics, the consequence of being a large consumer market. One thing though... no need for this polarization between California and the rest of the US. The fact we take steps to fix problems in our own backyard shouldn't be misconstrued as arrogance. The characterization of an entire state as far left and wacko is laughable and ignorant. And it's amazing how this discussion began on the mere libelous SPECULATION of CA banning remote start. You know, we have snow, too...

Nice review! The Fusion definitely has heavenly seats. They made the change in 2009, and they remind me of Volvo seats.

The Passat and CC 2.0T need premium fuel, but they perform comparably to the Sonata 2.0T -- in spite of the power deficit (200 vs 274) because of their DSG transmissions and more aggressive gearing. The VWs get 22/31 to the Hyundai's 22/34 MPG. 0-60 video of the old CC with a conventional automatic: It's really closer to 200 hp at the wheels than at the crank...

This car laughs in the face of CAFE. It has better fuel economy than a base Cobalt from two years ago, yet it's a largish sedan that makes 274 friggin' horsepower on regular fuel!! And 269 lb-ft @ 1800 rpm!

Oops, yeah, I meant to say 180-hp Ecoboost 1.6, not 2.0.

Stopped by the Ford store after work this evening. They had two Fiestas; a ghastly green SE five-speed with no options for around $15,000 and a black SE with Sport/SYNC and PowerShift for $2K more. I chose the black car because it was already outside and, frankly, it looked so much better. The car was "only" an SE but it didn't feel like it was missing any content. It had nice 15" alloys, same as the ones on the Euro Fiesta; kinda cheapo looking LED DRLs; power everything except the seats; and buttons on the steering wheel for SYNC. The only missing features I'd want are 17" alloys (the current Focus SES has nice charcoal ones) and maybe manumatic control for the automatic (I'd get the manual, though). Speaking of the transmission, it's a six-speed double-clutch design, like VW's DSG, though it doesn't feel like as quick or immediate. It's a bit slushier between gears, but the end result is something smooth like, well, a conventional automatic. Only when you really concentrate at low speeds do you notice the clutch engaging and disengaging. Surprisingly for a car designed around EPA mpg results, the transmission is programmed fairly aggressively. Even puttering around slowly, it shifted at 3,000 rpm and the revs hung on at 2,000 rpm when I quickly left my foot off the gas. I'm used to the low-rev turbo spool of my Passat. That's why a manumatic function would be nice... Power was fine around town, and it was easy revving the guts out of the smooth 1.6 (you can feel an extra kick ~4,500 rpm), but it's definitely not a quick car. There's no surge of torque like you get in a turbo car or EV. A 155-hp 2.0 liter would be nice, or even better, the C-MAX's 180-hp 2.0 EcoBoost. The steering, brakes, and throttle response/tip-in were great. All three felt natural and just right. This may be a B-segment sized (Yaris, Fit, Versa) but in many ways, it feels like a much larger C-segment car. The doors close with a VW-like thunk. It goes over bumps with a solid thump. There's very little road or wind noise. Interior materials, while not classy, appear durable and solidly constructed. Charcoal seat fabric is actually pretty nice, not scratchy or anything. The front feels airy and commodious; the back less so. It was easy to get comfortable, though I would have preferred seat bottom angle adjustment (it adjusts for height, like, again, a VW). The bottom bolster is kinda flat. Driving position is excellent, controls are within easy reach. But the radio interface was confusing and unfamiliar; I suppose it'll make more sense over time. It's loaded with clever touches, like ambient lighting, three-click turn signals, blind spot mirrors... And, finally, the styling. It does look kinda tall and narrow when viewed head on, but I like it from every other angle. I was very disappointed when I saw the pics of the US car, but in person, the changes don't completely ruin it. I still prefer the Euro car's looks... their projectors look so much classier than our halogens, but the US car exceeded my expectations in black SE spec. I'm seriously tempted to get one, but I simply don't need a car. The Passat just had its timing belt job at 85K for $700, and while it's a bit creaky and scratched everywhere, but functionally it's still great. A new Fiesta won't be cheaper to insure, it'll be considerably slower, and it'll have less rear seat space. But if my Passat became undriveable with age, I'd definitely consider the Fiesta as my top contender for buying new. My ideal car would be a white SE Sport+SYNC manual, MSRP $16,550. Maybe 20% tint for the back, blacked out headlights, and some smoked 17" multispoke alloys from the current Focus SES/old SVT... Look I'm going after... drove this white on black A4 Titanium recently (same, but with tint) and also loved it:

Outward visibility Ingress/egress (particularly for the rear) Interior room (shoulder room, head room) Headlight performance Interior quality (leather, door panels, wood/metal trim, headliner/pillars) Build quality (sheetmetal thickness, door slam sound?) Thanks! I've only rented and test driven '08 4-banger LT models... wonder if they've made any improvements since then.

In Beijing, it's still a big tourist attraction, even if it is empty on the inside. It's a pretty spectacular looking thing at night, especially the water cube.

If I had $16K to buy my mother a car, I'd get her a ~2008 Camry Hybrid with ~30K miles. Good visibility, solid structure, 3600 lbs, economical, and easy to drive. Being so cheap, it's hard to imagine spending twice as much for a brand new Fusion Hybrid. But if I were buying a car for myself, a used European sports sedan will do - E39 5-series, B5 or B6 Audi A4 or S4 (preferably Avant) - and the rest will go toward maintenance. A CPO MINI (Cooper S, if possible) or new Fiesta, if I wanted to be practical.

I thought it was a GLK, A5, X3, and RDX competitor. Then again, this "tweener" strategy is working well for Cadillac, like with the CTS, which is gradually moving upmarket.

I'd honestly take this over the ML on which this was initially based off of. And I'd have a difficult time choosing between this and the new Touareg.

I've never had a primary car with a manual transmission... though on occasions, I have borrowed them from friends, dealers, and rental companies. In Europe, you really have no choice but to rent a manual car if you're under 25, as ironically they don't trust youngins with them fancy automatic cars. In the US, it's a rather different story.

I've been in a Nissan Cedric taxi... with a four-on-the-tree and diesel inline-six.

It's funny cos GM said the same thing about the Cavalier when the Cobalt was being released. They said they learned from the past (and the ION) to a whole new ballgame. http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/04q3/2005_chevrolet_cobalt-first_drive_review