pow

+1 My grandparents will likely never be able to read English, but they are Americans and their votes deserve to be counted nonetheless. The population growth among Latinos will be from raising families, not new immigrants... and children of immigrants assimilate pretty much instantly in the US. From what I see, that generation shares the same culture and shared values as everybody else. This ain't Canada.

Tiguan? Interesting how you'd choose a Tribute over a CX-7.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfXqt0PuHQk

I've been happy with Fuzion (Bridgestone) HRi on our Odyssey. They were ~$240, shipped, from TireRack... had the local tire center mount them for $60. 20K miles later, they're a bit noisy but still have a good amount of tread left. For $300, I'm satisfied.

Ugh, today was absolute torture. Nearly every website I went on - whether it was Facebook, the Los Angeles Times, or even SaturnFans.com - was bombarded by ridiculous and manipulative, deceiving "Yes on Prop 8" banner ads, complete with happy children, doom and gloom imagery, and out-of-context quotes. Proposition 8 changes the California constitution to "eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry" (as written explicitly on the ballot), and it's a measure funded primarily by the LDS church (as much as 40%), televangelists, and out-of-state religious right groups (James Dobson's Focus on the Family, etc) who wish to make their religious beliefs law. Voters won't buy that, so they've somehow focused the campaign to be about parents' rights and education... which it isn't.

The rapture of the hypercar The Corvette ZR1 burns oil for a good cause: awesome power and agility By DAN NEIL, RUMBLE SEAT 9:48 PM PDT, October 16, 2008 Dear Future: We're really, really sorry. Kinda got carried away, what with all the petroleum and all. You're probably wishing that we had saved a few barrels of oil for you, for airline travel and making fertilizer. And those little plastic swim fins would come in handy, now that Greenland has melted. I know, "sorry" doesn't feed the bulldog. What's that? You've eaten your bulldog? OK, you're just making this harder. The problem with petroleum, you see, is that it's so utterly intoxicating, so rapturously explosive, such a giddy kick to the Newtonian groin. A gallon of gasoline represents about 125,000 BTUs of thermo-chemical energy and weighs a mere 6 pounds. To match the energy of a single gallon of gas, our most advanced lithium battery has to weigh between 30 and 40 pounds and be hooked up to a wind turbine for, like, ever. Gasoline is the light, sweet liquor of the gods, the glowing blood throbbing in Odin's temples. . . . Oh, right, sorry. If gas is our combustible heroin, cars like the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 are our big needles. This 638-hp, 205-mph, $105,000 affront to all that is good and decent and respectable, this angry strake of carbon fiber and aluminum turns gasoline directly into moments of teary bliss. Let me tell you, it's one thing to mouth the pieties of alternatively fueled transportation -- hybrids, diesels, electrics. It's quite another to feel the arch-adrenaline of dinosaur-fueled horsepower and say, "Never again." Some may wonder why badly bleeding General Motors would invest precious development dollars turning the already quite mental Corvette Z06 into this necromantic hypercar. Isn't the electric Volt the company's salvation? Maybe. But because the ZR1 builds on the Corvette program -- the aluminum-and-balsa chassis is the same; the supercharged LS9 is a titanium-rod-and-crank version of the base pushrod V8 -- it represents a relatively small marketing outlay. And marketing is what it is. This car has appeared on every magazine cover from Motor Trend to Bass Masters Quarterly. Having to get around in wooden, orphan-drawn carts, Future, it might be hard for you to appreciate what it's like to drive such a car. To begin with, in terms of comfort and usability, the ZR1 crushes comparable hypercars such as the Lamborghini Murcielago, the Porsche 911 GT2 and the Ferrari 599. To put four sets of golf clubs in those cars, as you can in the Corvette, you'd have to use a crowbar and a Sawz-All. At around-town, light-throttle speeds, the ZR1 drives like a two-seat limousine. The cabin is comfortable and easy to enter and exit. The dual-mode magnetic rheologic dampers (don't ask) deliver a freakishly supple and smooth ride, like every road was paved that morning. It's downright unnatural. The ride compliance is especially notable given the obscenely oversized Michelin Sport Pilot tires hanging luridly out of the wheel wells(19-inchers in front and 20s in the rear). With 320 pound-feet of torque at the flywheel at a breath off idle (1,000 rpm), the ZR1's engine is supremely tractable, quiet and refined around town. The close-ratio six-speed gearbox is slicker than a Glock soaked in KY jelly. The net of it is, then, that the ZR1 sacrifices very little to the war gods, not even fuel economy. You can stick the gearshift in sixth and get 20 mpg at highway speeds. But you wouldn't do that, Future, oh no. And neither would we. What you would do is line up the ZR1 on some empty straight of tarmac and nail the throttle. To do so is to throw yourself on a horsepower grenade. Even with traction control engaged, the wheel spin is enough to cause the ZR1 to sidestep in a cloud of Michelin-flavored smoke and thunder. A half-second later, the tires hook up and you're drowning in your own spit and hallucinating speed. In less than four heartbeats (3.4 seconds), you've gone through 60 mph and you're grabbing second gear. Now the four-lobe Eaton supercharger is fully angered, the gas is pouring down the V8 gullet, and the exhaust flaps are wide open. Can you hear me now? In 8 seconds -- long, loud, delirious seconds with a soundtrack from every NASCAR movie ever made -- you're in three-digit territory. It's around here I discovered a fascinating thing. If you punch the throttle at the top of third gear, around 6,500 rpm, where all 638 supercharged horses live, you can well and truly break the rear tires loose. Oh. My. God. Meanwhile, the ZR1 has more lateral grip than the world's current supply of Polident. On big, fast, neck-wrenching esses and sweepers and mountain switchbacks, the ZR1 just puts a shoulder down and carves through them. The two-mode dampers, set on Sport, null out whatever body roll might have the temerity to sneak past the oversized anti-roll bars. The ZR1 might have a touch of stiff-nosed, low-speed understeer, but with the phenomenal, right-now torque at your toe, rotating the car is as easy as dialing in the radio. If your will and wisdom should fail you, you can resort to the staggering, 15-inch carbon-ceramic front brakes, some of the biggest land anchors in the world. Feel free to laugh like Tickle Me Elmo. But look, Future, here I am, going on about an awesome gas-powered car, when you're running your rickshaw on distilled cow flops. Sorry about that. I just want you to know that we in the early 21st century want to conserve gasoline, and we're trying. But then a car like the Corvette ZR1 comes along. We're only human.

The new smaller-displacement V6 sounds great. A 3.0L makes a lot of sense in CUV applications. Hell, I wouldn't mind a high-revving 260-hp 3.0 DI in a G8 or Camaro...

+1 Domestic magazines suck... unreliable, poor fit and finish, dated design, etc.

Apparently the VUE is obese because of "structural inefficiencies" that result from having so many different powertrains across different markets. Theta wasn't engineered to handle this powertrain proliferation, and so they piled on weight to meet each of these new structural and packaging requirements - within a model, you had four-cylinders with either front-facing or rear-facing exhaust, diesels, new V6s, etc. The original VUE went a full circle - first it was a North American only product, the Equinox/Torrent built on that, then Korea and Europe worked on it (Captiva and Antara), and now it's back in the US as the second-generation VUE. Future GM architectures, like TE, will be more globalized from the very beginning, powertrains will be consolidated, and there will be greater mass efficiency.

MPG Without the Look-at-Me By Chris Walton, Chief Road Test Editor Email | Blog Date posted: 10-28-2008 What Works: Big-car ride in a subcompact; easy-shifting manual transmission; 37-mpg EPA highway rating. What Needs Work: Low-rolling-resistance tires; manual crank-up windows; manual mirrors; manual door locks. Bottom Line: Most small cars are moving upscale in look and feel, but the Cobalt LS XFE a throwback to that previous bare-bones tradition. Fuel economy. It's on everyone's mind and the guys at Chevy want you to know it's on theirs, too. So once you equip the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt LS sedan with a five-speed manual transmission, it becomes the XFE — eXtra Fuel Economy. The Cobalt XFE is part of GM's quick response to changing buyer preferences caused by the recent rise in fuel prices, and this same badge is being applied to more models in GM's lineup like the Pontiac G5 XFE and the yet-to-be-released, Chevy-Aveo-based Pontiac G3 XFE. After all, who can resist extra fuel economy? Your Mileage May Vary The base-model 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt LS sedan with the 2.2-liter Ecotec inline-4 engine and five-speed manual transmission promises 25 mpg in city driving, 37 mpg on the highway and a combined average of 30 mpg. This highway rating puts the Cobalt in a three-way tie for the most fuel-efficient subcompact on the market, alongside the Mini Cooper Clubman and Pontiac G5 XFE. Use the 25-mpg city rating as the criterion and the Cobalt XFE is in an eight-way tie for 5th place. As the base model in the Cobalt lineup, the $15,670 LS is powered by a 155-horsepower DOHC 2.2-liter inline-4 with variable valve timing. Its fuel tank will hold 13.2 gallons of regular gas, taking you (theoretically) to a cruising range of 488 highway miles. To bring home this kind of fuel economy, the Cobalt combines tall gearing (to keep the engine running at low rpm), low-rolling-resistance tires and ECU software that favors lean-burn engine combustion. There's also a telltale light on the instrument panel that illuminates between 2,000 and 2,500 rpm, a measure that is meant to inspire you to get better fuel economy by changing to a taller gear. Though we followed the advice of the shift light almost exclusively over the course of a thousand miles, we achieved a worst tank of 22 mpg, a best tank of 29 mpg and an overall average of 25 mpg. Ever since the EPA's new testing rules went into effect this year, it's been uncommon for our overall average to fall short of the EPA's combined figure, but it did this time. What You Get Unlike some other fuel sippers emblazoned with all manner of stickers and badges, the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt is unassuming, a traditional American sedan. It doesn't broadcast your frugality or announce your desire to lessen your dependence on foreign sources of oil. It looks just like any other Cobalt sedan you might encounter in an airport rental lot. If this sort of anonymity appeals to you, well, there it is. The Cobalt LS XFE also gives you rental-spec cloth-covered seats (the driver seat is height-adjustable) and 60/40-split-folding rear seatbacks that don't quite go all the way flat. Curtain-type side airbags and a one-year subscription to OnStar are standard. An above-average audio system accommodates CD/MP3 with an aux jack and XM Satellite Radio. Finally, 15-inch steel wheels with rattling hubcaps and low-rolling-resistance P195/60R15 tires round out the package. Our car came with three options: $180 Protection Package (floor mats and body-colored side moldings), $400 antilock brake system (must have) and $75 spare wheel and space-saver spare tire. The as-tested total is $16,325 which seems fair, although you'll notice this is a very competitive class, with 13 other 2009 cars with base MSRPs under $17,000, many of which seem to us to be better equipped or available with a wider array of options. What you don't get includes an automatic transmission, power windows, power door locks, keyless remote, power mirrors, telescoping steering wheel, power seats, leather seats, seatback pockets, map lights, cruise control and electronic traction or stability control, and standard antilock brakes. Where the Rubber Meets the Road Our ABS-equipped 2,800-pound Cobalt ate up 146 feet coming to a stop from 60 mph, or between 10 and 25 feet more than comparably equipped cars in its class. Subsequent stops ranged from 150-155 feet. These distances aren't acceptable even for full-size trucks. We attribute the Cobalt's subpar performance to those hard, skinny, low-rolling-resistance tires, plus rear drum brakes that produce an ABS cycle that is very slow. As you'd expect, the Continental TouringContact AS tires also affect the Cobalt's handling. Around the skid pad, the Chevy achieves a decent 0.76g orbit and a wild-and-woolly 61.7-mph slalom pass. The Cobalt XFE is one of those rare front-drive cars that understeers relentlessly on the skid pad, yet threatens to spin while making the quick turning transitions of the slalom test. A confidence-inspiring car, it is not. Good Powertrain The engine and manual transmission are perhaps the best things about the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt. The 155 hp from this 2.2-liter Ecotec might seem modest, but the 150 pound-feet of torque is not. It helps produce a run to 60 mph in 8.5 seconds (8.2 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip ) on the way to a quarter-mile of 16.4 seconds at 86.3 mph. Not too shabby for a car that can earn up to 37 mpg. In relative terms, the Cobalt will smoke a Prius or Civic Hybrid in a contest of speed. The action of the Cobalt's shift lever is particularly direct and cares not if it was being shifted at leisure for economy or rushed at the test track. In either case, the clutch uptake at the pedal was very intuitive and helped make possible the low-rpm upshifts prescribed by the shift light. On the Highway Whatever the road surface, the Cobalt XFE rides as smoothly as a midsize car. It offers good isolation without the usual maritime sensation, a measure of the long-travel Premium Ride suspension that Chevy specifies for the XFE. Road noise is an issue, especially on grooved or grainy roads where the din of the tires is obvious. On the other hand, wind noise is moderate, even in cross winds. Unfortunately, steering feel is a casualty in the name of economy. As we've observed in the four-cylinder Chevy Malibu, GM's version of an electric-assist power steering rack might improve fuel economy, but it does little to deliver natural steering effort. We hesitate to use the trite video-game analogy, but it fits here. Infuriating Nostalgia Times have changed, and it's a lot harder for us to live with an economy car than it used to be. To lock the doors, you have to use the plungers on the passenger doors and the key in the driver door. From the driver seat, we realized we couldn't roll down the passenger window. The driver's window crank got noticeably bound up and became harder to rotate when the window was about halfway up. Also, a parent unable to deal with unrequited requests from the child seat for lowered windows had better plan ahead with other means of quelling fresh-air-starved youth who are used to windows that go down with the touch of a button. Oh, and you had better set your manually adjusted passenger-side mirror before heading out into the world. As far as fit and finish goes, the Cobalt has none of it. We're sorry to say that from the first day we had the car, its hubcaps buzzed and rattled with every road reflector and driveway entrance. Body panel gaps are large enough to actually see the scissor hinges when the trunk is closed. The metallic paint showed several spots of orange peel plus uneven application. And there's that wrinkly pinch weld running the length of both running boards that we haven't seen since, well, window cranks went away. This car really is a throwback to a bygone era. How did we ever survive the 1970s? We must've had so much more time and patience. Aftertaste We'd like to say that all these shortcomings are petty nitpicks that should be overlooked for the price and economy that's gained with the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt LS XFE, but the price isn't that compelling and the economy proved elusive. In this burgeoning era where small cars are now offered with some or all the features and conveniences previously found on cars farther up the ladder, the Chevy Cobalt is behind the times if the XFE is any measure. Instead we have to look ahead. At, for example, the 2010 Ford Fiesta, a vehicle that acknowledges that small cars are the next big thing. We'll have to wait at least until 2011 for the Cobalt's replacement, the Chevrolet Cruze, which will be GM's serious subcompact import fighter. For now, the Cobalt remains a rolling compromise.

At the Chevron near my grandmother's house, diesel is now the same price as 87 regular... $2.99/gal.

My six-year old Passat with 75K miles has never broken down. VWs usually top quality and reliability surveys around the world. I suspect the perception that US consumers have of VW has something to do with its useless dealers.

I, for one, do not get GM's light-hybrid pricing strategy. The merits of the BAS system were initially low cost and high flexibility, which would allow for greater volume across a greater model range. It was an affordable hybrid system for the masses, a way to go green without going broke. But currently all GM light-hybrids have "very limited availability" and are priced nearly as much as the full-hybrid competition, which get significantly better city fuel economy. VUE Hybrid - 25 mpg, city $28,625 ($27,075 w/ tax credit) Escape Hybrid - 34 mpg, city $30,030 ($27,030 w/ tax credit) AURA Hybrid - 26 mpg, city $26,685 ($25,285 w/ tax credit) Camry Hybrid - 33 mpg, city $26,870 (no tax credit) Altima Hybrid - 35 mpg, city $27,345 ($24,995 w/ tax credit) The full-hybrid competition also are much more powerful (2+ seconds quicker to 60), and all of them are PZEVs (the light-hybrids aren't).

Funny, I saw two Priuses today with McCain-Palin stickers. Lots of conservatives like to, uh, conserve fossil fuels, whether it's to reduce pollution or to stop importing oil. Until the Volt arrives in two years, the Prius is still the best car to do that.

$3.29/gal for premium - apparently gas stations are reluctant to lower prices, because they paid a lot more for the stuff still inside their tanks.

Reuters has just reported inside sources have confirmed that GM has chosen LG Chem along with Troy, Michigan-based Compact Power Inc. to supply the lithium-ion battery packs for the first generation Chevy Volt. The contract will be announced in November and the terms are still being worked out. GM and Compact Power are apparently working out the details of the commercial agreement and how to split warranty costs for the batteries. GM hasn’t confirmed these reports but an LG Chem spokesman in Korea stated “we were informed that the results are due in November, but we didn’t get any official answer from GM yet. We hope for and expect a good result.” As we have heard before in a subtle way from GM vice-chairman Bob Lutz, GM was only using one supplier’s packs in the mules. Concurrently, we had heard from Compact Power’s CEO that his batteries were being used in the mules. Sources have now confirmed this is the case and that the mules packs are performing flawlessly. A123/Continental could still potentially supply Volt packs in the next generation. http://gm-volt.com/2008/10/22/breaking-lg-...-battery-packs/

Volume V6 applications are getting fewer by the day. As people start to reconsider their priorities, 270 hp in a family sedan might seem a bit superfluous.

There's a 9-3 with your name written on it... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-Trucks...d=p4506.c0.m245 New condition – 5 miles – not a demo. Just arrived, 2 in stock (see duplicate listing) we received these cars from Saab as the last of the 2008 models. The “Buy-it-now” price listed provides for special buying instructions so please read this outline. Vehicle Description: Saab 9-3 Sports Sedan, Black/Parchment Leather Interior 2.0 Liter Turbo / 4 cylinder – 6 speed manual transmission, leather interior, XM radio (90 day free trial), On-Star (12 months free), ABS, Traction Control, 6 Air Bags including side curtains, alloy wheels, dual climate control, tire pressure monitors, rain sensing wipers, leather steering wheel and more. The Saab 9-3 2.0 Liter 4 cylinder turbo gets over 29 MPG on the open road and with the manual transmission owners can expect over 32 MPG with Regular Gas!! Vehicle comes with a 4 year / 50,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty, plus 5 year / 100,000 mile warranty on all power train items (this warranty will not be available for 2009 models), plus free schedule main. 10,000, 20,000 and 30,000 miles with road side assistance. Pre-qualified buyers must call: This is a special purchase offer – interested E-bay members MUST call Robb at Country Saab 845-651-4603 before hitting the “buy-it-now” in order to qualify for this special pricing offer. If you hit the “buy-it-now” without being pre-qualified the car will not be sold. Price disclosure – please read. $ 28,825 original MSRP $ 27,916 dealer net price < 417> additional dealer discount < 5,500> Saab customer cash (if qualified) *1 < 2,000> Saab Targeted Lessees Bonus Cash (if qualified) **2 ------------ $ 19,999 Final purchase price if qualified. *1 Saab customer cash – please call prior to “buy-it-now” need to assure that your Zip code / County qualify for the Saab incentive. **2 Saab Targeted Lessees Bonus Cash – please call prior to “buy-it-now” need to assure your Zip code / County qualify for the Saab incentive. Requires that you provide a copy of your current lease contract as proof of current “in-lease” status with a scheduled end date through February 2, 2009 – customer does not have to end his/her lease contract to qualify for this incentive. Fees and Taxes – NY State Residents must add applicable sales tax, plus $12.50 NYS Waste Tire Disposal Fee, $45 dealer doc fee and $150 for new NYS plates. Out of NY State Residents must add $10.00 NYS in transit fee, $45.00 Doc Fee. Payment - $1,000 deposit required within 24 hours of auction end, full payment due within 5 business days. Shipping and all related costs are the responsibility of the buyer. Buyer must take delivery of the car at the dealership. Thank you for your interest, please call me with any / all questions anytime during the auction, I will also respond back via email using E-Bay message service.

Maybe anecdotally, but not according to the EPA. That generation Malibu I4 (2.2) *did* get better highway mileage than the Camry 2.4, though.

The Avenger (and Sebring) have V6s with worst-in-class fuel economy (3.5) and lowest-in-class horsepower (2.7), so maybe that's why... Accord - 271 hp, 19/29 mpg Sonata - 249 hp, 19/29 mpg Camry - 268 hp, 19/28 mpg Altima - 270 hp, 19/26 mpg Fusion - 221 hp, 18/26 mpg Malibu - 252 hp, 17/26 mpg Avenger - 235 hp, 16/26 mpg

FWIW, Sign-Then-Drive is back again... $0 down, $0 due at lease signing, $0 first month's payment A Jetta S would be $269/mo for 39 mo, 39K mi, maintenance included A boring car, but it's safe, practical, and it drives well.

The rear leather looks awfully saggy... everything else I love.

I don't mind the front, but the sides are still too slab-sided. I'd rather save money and get the better-looking Insight.