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Pothole avoidance? Roads here in LA aren't bad, if you know where to go... http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/2339/img1776nr5.jpg http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/2018/img1443hr2.jpg

Looks great! For $200 you could always get GTI side rocker trim; it goes well with the black portion of your rear bumper. Does your Rabbit come with a trip computer? VW was inconsistent when decontenting, and many still have them. They are useful for calculating average MPG (one resets everytime you start a trip, the other one you reset it manually) and instantaneous MPG.

Unfortunately here in the US, there are few windy country lanes, and most of our twisty bends are far away in the mountains, where few Americans actually live. Just as the Freelander diesel is more competitive across the pond than the LR2 inline-six is in the US, as you have mentioned, the ASTRA isn't as effective in the US environment because much of American driving is done on straight, wide, boring roads at highway speeds. My point is that relative to its local competition, the ASTRA is deficient in performance and ill-suited for American roads, as evidenced by being slowest to accelerate from 0-60 and having the highest engine revs at highway speeds, all while offering no fuel economy advantage. It would be perfect if we could have the Astra's driving dynamics and style, and the fuel economy and power of, say, a 2.2 liter Cobalt.

Hm, it seems the only same-engined US vehicle we have to compare is the Civic 1.8, and even those figures are not perfect, since the European Civic hatch weighs more than the global Civic sedan, despite not having independent rear suspension. But it is consistent with the data we have, in that the 1.8 Civic is quicker and more fuel efficient using both the US C&D comparison specs and the manufacturer specs. Honda Civic 1.8 52.3 8.6 138 Vauxhall Astra 1.8 48.7 9.5 138 Honda Civic US 26/34 7.7 140 Saturn ASTRA 24/32 9.3 138 In the US, the Civic (1.8l), Corolla (1.8l), and Focus (2.0) are the three best-selling small cars, and all beat the ASTRA in fuel economy, engine noise, and 0-60.

Peak horsepower figures can be misleading, because very rarely do Americans rev past 6000+ rpm in everyday driving; it's almost as if its poor motoring etiquette. Doing so will attract unwanted glares, and the police will probably fine you for "display of speed" or "intention of speed contest" or some other BS. Torque is what matters... it's nice to have an engine that can pass without having to rev its brains out. 138 hp is enough, if you've got, say, 236 lb-ft at 1900 rpm.

Agreed... like the PZEV (Tier 2 Bin 3), 25/36 mpg, 148 hp/152 lb-ft 2.2 in the current Cobalt. The ASTRA, btw, only weighs 100 lbs more than the Cobalt. Few weeks ago, I drove my Passat 1.8T (~3500 rpm at 75 mph) from LA to SD, and the day after I did the same trip in my parents' 528i (~3000 rpm at 75 mph). On the freeway the extra torque and lower revs of the I6 made the trip so much calmer and more relaxing. It's a shame there are so few diesels that meet Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions standards... I'm hoping the upcoming BlueTDI Jetta is reasonably priced. edit - With all that said, I'd still take the ASTRA over a Cobalt or Vibe. You're right about those "tangible and intangible assets"; I test drove a base XE 5-door, and even with the plastic wheel covers and plastic steering wheel, it still feels German and "premium", better than the Cobalt or Vibe. The turn signal stalks are nice and chunky, the steering feel is nicely weighted, the brake feel is excellent, and the ride felt solid and substantial. Around town it seems quieter than the Rabbit, though the Veedub still beats it in door slam "thunk" quality...

In the European market, the Astra does fine, but over here it needs more power to be competitive or class leading. No one "needs" 414 hp in an RS4, but it certainly makes for a more entertaining car. There's nothing wrong with the Astra having a 1.8, but in the US, we already have powertrains (many of them 1.8 liters, too) that offer more performance, lower highway revs, less noise, and better fuel economy. From a C&D small car comparison test... 0-60, mpg (2008 EPA city/highway), dB at max acceleration, and mph/1000 rpm 3: 7.3 sec Rabbit: 7.6 sec Civic: 7.7 sec Elantra: 7.9 sec xD: 7.9 sec Focus: 8.1 sec Sentra: 8.3 sec Corolla: 8.6 sec Astra: 9.3 sec Corolla: 27/35 (1.8L) Civic: 26/34 (1.8L) xD: 27/33 (1.8L) Focus: 24/35 (2.0L) Elantra: 25/33 (2.0L) Sentra: 25/33 (2.0L) 3: 24/32 (2.3L) Astra: 24/32 (1.8L) Rabbit: 22/29 (2.5L) Rabbit: 74 dB Focus: 74dB Sentra: 75 dB 3: 75 dB Elantra: 76 dB Corolla: 78 dB Civic: 79 dB xD: 79 dB Astra: 84 dB Rabbit: 25.6 mph Sentra: 23.7 mph Focus: 23.6 mph 3: 23.4 mph Corolla: 23.0 mph Civic: 22.9 mph xD: 22.7 mph Elantra: 21.9 mph Astra: 20.3 mph A constant 4000 rpm at 80 mph makes for tiresome and frantic long-distance traveling, and with the sensitive throttle response at higher revs, a slight twitch of the foot instantly increases fuel consumption.

I was thinking... the redesigned Mazda5 looks somewhat like a Euro Ford, particularly the headlights and gaping lower grille, and that it might do better in the US as a Focus xBBox, or something. The Ford dealer base is much greater than Mazda's, the Ford brand attracts far more people, boxy "sport compact" crossovers are in, and the market wants a fuel efficient 6-7 passenger vehicle. The Mazda 5 is the right car for the right moment but saddled with the wrong badge and no media attention. Imagine it with a new bumper and grille... Soften up the suspension a bit, offer the second row middle seat found in Japan and Europe, and I think there will be many takers for <$20K.

Multinationals owe no allegiance to any particular country... US-based corporations break US trade sanctions all the time, selling goods and services to "hostile" and "anti-American" countries. The sole purpose of the modern corporation is to make money for its shareholders, not serve the public trust, and if that means GM needs to abandon the US market in favor of the Chinese market, they will. How much reinvestment into the US economy do you think there is when someone buys a South Korean made Aveo, Australian made G8, or Belgian made ASTRA? The money goes back GMDAT, Holden, and GME, spent for their respective workers, plants, R&D facilities, and communities (taxes).

And psychologically, this could encourage people to use more gas than they normally would, to "get more" out of the card.

Looks good... I like it, especially from the side. Renault is great at making something mundane - like a family hatch or people carrier - seem interesting and exciting.

Apparently the 2.0T now uses a timing chain, which should cut down on maintenance costs.

... in lieu of rebates or special financing?

I use Zaino... longest lasting thing I've used so far. My car is always parked outside, and the rare moments I do wash it, the water beads nicely and the surface remains smooth. I only need to clay it once a year. Mother's is good for OTC. Meguiar's quality has been very inconsistent, IMO. Their "professional" (tan bottle) products are better; #26 is surprisingly durable for a carnauba, and #83 is effective at removing swirls without being too harsh, provided you let the abrasives break down into finer particles - i.e. with a foam polishing pad and Porter Cable 7336. I do wish it used less fillers and oils, though. Honestly, the vast majority of waxes are pretty much the same, with essentially the same mix of cheap solvents and oils. With the exception of Zaino, IMO, there's very little "technology" involved; it's more about marketing and branding and shilling so that we can collectively fund Barry Meguiar's teeth whitening, spray tanning, evangelical missionaries, and, oh yeah, TV show. What I think of Meguiar's as a company:

Tiguan pricing released... car will be at dealers by the end of May. 2.0T 200 HP 6-speed automatic S 5N17V1 $24,300 2.0T 200 HP 6-speed automatic SE 5N18V1 $26,925 2.0T 200 HP 6-speed automatic 4XMOTION SE 4Motion 5N18V3 $28,875 2.0T 200 HP 6-speed automatic SEL 5N19V1 $30,990 2.0T 200 HP 6-speed automatic 4XMOTION SEL 4Motion 5N19V3 $32,940 S: Includes: 16" San Diego alloy wheels with 215/65 R16 All-Season tires; ESP, ASR, ABS with front and rear disc brakes, TPMS; 2-DIN 8-speaker sound system with MP3 compatible in-dash CD player with center console Aux-in; Cloth interior; Climatic manual climate control; Cruise control; Manual 8-way adjustable drivers' and passengers' front seats with lumbar; Fold-flat passenger seat; Split-folding 60-40 rear seat; (4) 12V power outlets; Head curtain airbags; Front and front side thorax airbags. SE: Includes 2.0T S features plus: 17" Los Angeles alloy wheels with 235/55 R 17 All-Season tires; Fog lights; Silver roof rack; Chrome window surrounds and grille; Privacy glass; Upgraded interior cloth and trim; Cold weather package (heatable seats and heated washer nozzles); Leather wrapped shift-knob and Multi-function steering wheel; Big roof console; 2-DIN 8-speaker sound system with MP3 compatible in-dash 6-CD changer with center console aux-in; Sirius ™ Satellite Radio; Comfort 8-way partial power drivers' seat; Multi-function trip computer. SEL: Includes 2.0T SE features plus: 18" New York alloy wheels with Pirelli 235/50 R 18 All-season tires; Bi-Xenon headlamps with AFS; Premium Dynaudio ™ sound system; 12-way power drivers' seat with Memory Function (incl. side mirrors); Dual-zone Climatronic; Leather seating surfaces; Rain-sensing windshield wipers; Self-dimming rearview mirror; Adjustable ambient floor-mounted lighting; Automatic headlamps with coming / leaving home feature. Options: Rear side airbags $350 Factory installed hitch $320 17" alloys (S only) $400 18" alloys (SE only) $400 Panoramic sunroof $1,300 Nav with MDI $1,950 Rubber mats and trunk liner $199 Splash guards $169 Late availability: 2.0T 200 HP 6-speed manual S - $23,225 The pricing is comparable to a V6 powered RAV4. I'd rather get a Jetta SportWagen TDI or 2.0T for less dough and with better fuel economy.

I like the retrofuturisticountach theme..

+1 My only beef with the place is that is smells like hay inside..

Which GM vehicle do you recall with similar wheels? Aren't those just regular sliding doors... there might be a track below the rear glass. For sure it doesn't look very Opelish. Joint venture?

YTD BMW passenger car and SAV sales down... MINI sales up. 29/36 mpg *and* fun driving dynamics, anyone?

Red '57 Merc 300SL roadster

This year's fill-ups for me... price per gal, premium unleaded: 1/14 - $3.39 1/26 - $3.25 2/7 - $3.25 2/16 - $3.33 3/2 - $3.55 3/15 - $3.79 3/30 - $3.79 4/12 - $3.99 4/27 - $4.09 Next time I need gas it'll probably be at $4.29. About a year ago (5/7/07), I filled up at $3.69/gal.

Anecdotal stories about fuel economy are useless unless they're universally bad or universally good, or if you have a group of cars, and drive them on the same route, by the same drivers, at the same time. I've averaged as high as 38 mpg and as low as 16 mpg... using the same car.

The former... 150% of the truck's value in "excellent" Blue Book condition, plus paying for a rental car. But that is assuming you actually own the truck..

+1 They just don't die... my grandfather had an early '90s Toyota "Truck" with a V6 and one of those yellow Ryder boxes over the rear dually wheels, and it just kept going and going and going. Some U-Hauls still use them.

VW Says There's "No Timetable" for Passat R36's U.S. Debut - but Jetta SportWagen's on the Way Date posted: 04-29-2008 STORY TOOLS Print thisPrint this Save thisSave this Digg this storyDigg this! Email thisEmail this Most PopularMost popular del.icio.usdel.icio.us AUBURN HILLS, Michigan — Volkswagen of America confirmed for Inside Line on Tuesday that there is "no specific timetable" for a U.S. launch of the new Passat R36. But the German automaker has new information for buyers who want to get in line for the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen variants. Volkswagen of America spokesman Keith Price is now able to ballpark U.S. volume allotments on the '09 Jetta SportWagen. "We expect to sell 14,000-15,000 Jetta SportWagens in the U.S.," he said. "About half will be diesel." He said the gas-powered Jetta SportWagen will go on sale at the end of July, starting at approximately $19,000. The clean diesel-powered Jetta SportWagen is slated to hit showrooms here at the end of August, starting at approximately $22,000. Price said formal pricing on the SportWagen will be announced later this summer. "We are expecting the diesel Jetta SportWagen to be snapped up," Price said. "We are encouraging people to speak with their individual dealers. An order can be put in now." Price said that while EPA fuel economy numbers on the Jetta SportWagen diesel have not yet been announced, VW is now saying that the car has the "potential" to return 40 mpg in city driving and 50 mpg on the highway. The 2009 Jetta will be the first U.S. model to use VW's new Blue TDI "clean" diesel. The 2009 Jetta TDI features a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder common-rail diesel rated at 138 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. In the meantime, the new Passat R36, the most powerful Passat ever built, has arrived in European showrooms priced at the equivalent of $61,150 for the sedan variant and $63,440 for the wagon variant. The R36's 3.6-liter V6 churns out 296 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The engine is linked to a six-speed DSG gearbox. VW said optional 19-inch wheels will be offered at a later date. What this means to you: VW of America offers some key information for you as you make your summer plans to get in line for the Jetta SportWagen. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent