pow

335d 0-62 mph: 6.2 sec 23/33 MPG X5 xDrive35d 0-62 mph: 7.2 sec 19/25 MPG * twin-turbo 3-liter inline-six diesel * 50-state compliant * 265 horsepower * 425 lb-ft @ 1750 rpm Ahh, the miracles of diesel tech. Nearly twice the power, nearly three times the torque, AND better fuel economy than, say, a gas-powered Cobalt. Here's the press release, if you can be bothered.... BMW X5 xDrive35d AND BMW 335d TO MAKE US DEBUT BMW Advanced Diesel with BluePerformance. Performance + Outstanding Efficiency Woodcliff Lake, NJ - Entering a new era in the company's mission to deliver ultimate driving machines that combine superior performance with exemplary fuel economy, the BMW Group will debut two vehicle models equipped with the BMW Advanced Diesel with BluePerformance at the 2008 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit – the X5 xDrive35d and the 335d. Successfully meeting the strict exhaust emissions requirements of the North American automobile market, BMW Advanced Diesel – slated to hit US roadways in late 2008 – will be available in all 50 states. The wide availability of these vehicles marks a significant milestone in the BMW EfficientDynamics strategy, which seeks to offer customers in automobile markets around the world maximum driving pleasure with minimum fuel consumption and emissions. BMW Advanced Diesel technology is being introduced into the US market in the form of the 3.0-liter inline-six featuring Variable Twin Turbo Technology – an engine widely acknowledged as the unchallenged benchmark for sporting performance, motoring refinement and superior efficiency in other markets around the world. At the 2008 NAIAS, BMW is presenting this 265-hp high-performance diesel engine in both the BMW X5 xDrive35d and the BMW 335d. To ensure full compliance with the demanding emission standards in California and other US states, BMW uses SCR technology to reduce nitric oxides (NOX), enabling nationwide introduction of BMW Advanced Diesel with BluePerformance as a 50-state model (BIN5). Leading the way: BMW diesel competence for the US. The history of BMW diesel engines began in 1983 when the BMW 524td was introduced as the fastest diesel in the world. From that starting point, BMW has spent 25 years continuously developing diesel technology. Today's BMW Diesels are characterized by dramatically improved power and performance, fuel consumption and emissions levels – reflecting the principle of BMW EfficientDynamics in every respect. Through their superior motoring refinement alone, BMW diesel engines have helped to significantly eliminate any reservations regarding the acoustic properties of a diesel engine. Indeed, great demand for BMW diesel engines has helped BMW achieve increased market share not just in Europe, but in regions across the world. Today no less than 67 percent of all new BMWs delivered to customers in Europe are powered by a diesel engine. While diesel engines of today represent an impressive standard for fuel efficiency and emissions on the whole, BMW Advanced Diesel engines take this a step further, setting the standard for torque and pulling power that could never be achieved by a similar displacement gasoline engine – while consuming 25 percent less fuel on average than an equally powerful gasoline engine. New generation of diesel technology: Maximum dynamism, minimum emissions. Maximum power, supreme efficiency: The first BMW Advanced Diesel with BluePerformance is particularly well-suited to combine the driving dynamics and motoring refinement of a premium automobile with the most current and demanding standards for preserving resources and reducing emissions. Featuring exceptional power and torque, the 3.0 liter inline-six diesel is one of the most fuel-efficient and economical engines in its class. Applying Variable Twin Turbo Technology, a small turbocharger first cuts in at low engine speeds. Thanks to its low inertia, this turbocharger develops boost (and extra power) in response to even the smallest movement to the gas pedal and without the slightest delay. As engine speed increases, the second, larger turbocharger cuts in, developing maximum torque of 425 lb-ft at just 1,750 rpm. Interaction of the two turbochargers is controlled by the particularly efficient, high-performance electronic engine control unit. In addition to the above Variable Twin Turbo Technology, new technical highlights of BMW Advanced Diesel – presented for the first time in 2007 – include an aluminum crankcase and third-generation common-rail direct fuel injection. Featuring precision-quality precise piezo-injectors to deliver the precise dosage of fuel into the combustion chambers with the smallest volume of pre-injection, the third generation system ensures a particularly clean injection process with optimized fuel consumption, emissions figures and running smoothness. Given all of these qualities, BMW's 3.0-liter diesel with Variable Twin Turbo has won the prestigious International Engine of the Year Award multiple times – more than any other prize or acknowledgement. The engine is featured in a large number of models in Europe and is now expanding its global story of success as the BMW Advanced Diesel with BluePerformance. At the 2008 NAIAS, the BMW 335d featuring Advanced Diesel with BluePerformance for maximum output of 265 hp and peak torque of 425 lb-ft. will provide a clear and convincing demonstration of these qualities. On the road, this means acceleration from 0–62 mph in 6.2 seconds and average fuel economy of 23/33 mpg (city/highway, provisional data). The BMW X5 xDrive35d, will also debut in Detroit. Like the 335d, the X5 xDrive35d offers sporting character through BMW Advanced Diesel with BluePerformance, while standing out as a high-torque Sports Activity Vehicle with excellent qualities for long-distance motoring. The BMW X5 xDrive35d accelerates from 0–62 mph in just 7.2 seconds and offers average fuel economy of at least 19/25 mpg (city/highway, provisional data). Non-partisan study in the USA: BMW ranks No 1 in the reduction of CO2 emissions. The introduction of Advanced Diesel with BluePerformance in the US continues the global BMW EfficientDynamics development strategy of reducing both fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. Applying this strategy, the vehicles offered by BMW stand out worldwide by combining a higher standard of driving dynamics with a significant reduction in both fuel consumption and emissions. The new BMW 128i Coupe now being introduced in the US, for example, is powered by the latest and, accordingly, most efficient version of BMW's inline-six cylinder engine featuring VALVETRONIC technology. Apart from the enhanced version of this fully variable valve management, this engine also features a composite magnesium/aluminum crankcase and an electric coolant pump, operating only on demand and to the level required. In the BMW 128i Coupe, this engine is combined with six-speed automatic transmission of the latest generation, again using innovative technology to ensure enhanced fuel economy, minimum emissions and maximum driving pleasure. Innovations allowing for greater efficiency are also being systematically introduced into all models sold by BMW in the US. Pursuing this strategy, BMW has indeed made significant progress in recent years in reducing average fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, the success of these efforts being confirmed only recently in the latest issue of the US Environmental Defense Report. According to the study, BMW reduced the CO2 emissions of its car fleet by 12.3 percent from 1990 through 2005 (its closest competitor achieved a 3 percent reduction in CO2 emissions), while sales in the USA increased four-fold in the same period. This independent, non-partisan study of the Vehicle Fleet Carbon Burden of all vehicles operating in the United States between 1990 and 2005 concluded that BMW has contributed far more than all other manufacturers in reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions and makes specific reference to the positive results of BMW EfficientDynamics. Now, introducing Advanced Diesel with BluePerformance as part of BMW EfficientDynamics, BMW seeks to continue the progress described in the Environmental Defense Report well into the future, with the same intensity and impact. Most advanced exhaust gas management: SCR catalyst with AdBlue injection. To optimize emission management, Advanced Diesel with BluePerformance incorporates an oxidation catalyst placed just downstream of the exhaust manifold, a diesel particulates filter housed in the same unit and an SCR catalyst with the urea injection. In addition to filtering out even the smallest particles from the flow of exhaust gases, this combination ensures effective reduction of nitric oxides (NOX) by way of a chemical reaction within the exhaust system initiated by the injection of a small dose of urea referred to as AdBlue. The ammonia (NH3) generated in this process within the SCR catalyst subsequently converts the nitric oxides (NO and, respectively, NO2) in the exhaust gas into environmentally compatible nitrogen (N2) and vapor (H2O). AdBlue technology by BMW: Optimized emissions without requiring additional maintenance. To introduce AdBlue technology into the car, BMW has developed a two-tank system ensuring convenient use of this new technology with all the benefits and ease required by the customer. The amount of AdBlue required in each case is injected from the active tank (approximately 1.6 gallons in volume) by means of a dosage pump. And since the urea solution would freeze at a temperature of 12.2oF, this active tank, as well as the dosage pipes, are heated. The active tank is connected to a second reservoir, referred to as the passive tank. With its additional capacity of approximately 4.5 gallons, this passive tank offers a plentiful supply of the urea solution. The average range provided with this supply capacity is indeed sufficient to have the tank system replenished only when the driver needs to change the engine oil. Hence, the large amount of AdBlue stored in the reservoir enables the customer to enjoy continuous driving, without having to change his/her service intervals. The driver therefore benefits from the advantages of this environmentally friendly emission technology throughout the entire running life of the car, without any additional service or visits to the workshop. Since all BMWs sold in the US benefit from The BMW Maintenance Program, the refilling of the AdBlue tanks will be a no-charge service for 4 years or 50,000 miles. AdBlue from the active tank is delivered to the dosing valve and atomize into the exhaust system. Consistent distribution of AdBlue within the flow of exhaust is ensured by the SCR mixer. The ammonia generated in the hot exhaust flow subsequently acts as a reduction agent in the SCR catalyst and converts environmentally harmful nitric oxides into nitrogen and water vapor in a process referred to as a selective catalytic reaction (SCR). This process gives the special SCR catalyst its name. The control of the SCR system is masterminded by BMW's powerful engine management computer. A nitric oxide sensor downstream of the SCR catalyst provides feedback on the concentration of NOX in the exhaust emissions. Due to packaging limitations in certain vehicles, the position and location of the AdBlue tank may be varied from one vehicle model to the other. In the BMW 335d, the active and passive tank are at the rear end of the car, while in the BMW X5 xDrive35d, the active tank is housed in the front right section of the engine compartment, and the passive tank is under-floor next to the transmission. BMW's competence in diesel technology: A story of success since 1983. The performance and fuel economy offered by new BMW Advanced Diesel with BluePerformance is a further example of the exceptional potential this engine concept has to offer. In recent years BMW has worked more thoroughly and consistently than any other manufacturer worldwide to promote and further the development of its EfficientDynamics strategy. As a result, BMW has consistently enhanced the benefits and attractiveness of diesel technology, increasing engine output (performance), while reducing fuel consumption and emissions. Through their unique motoring refinement and smoothness – a feature which was thought to be impossible with a diesel engine – BMW's diesel engines stand out among the competition, setting the industry standard for diesel engine technology today. The story of success of BMW's diesel engines is characterized by numerous milestones in technical development, dating back to 1983. Back then BMW presented the first inline-six diesel in the history of the company, with maximum output of 85 kW/115 hp and peak torque of 210 Newton-metres/155 lb-ft. The BMW 524td that featured this engine was acknowledged as the fastest diesel of its time and was the last BMW diesel model to be sold in the US. In the years to come BMW's engine development specialists enhanced a wide range of innovations, ensuring their alignment with series production standards, increasing power and performance, reducing fuel consumption and emissions in the process. In 1987, for example, BMW introduced DDE Digital Diesel Electronics followed three years later by BMW's first diesel engine with an oxidation catalyst. BMW diesel engines: Making a unique contribution to The Ultimate Driving Machine. Right from the start BMW's engine development specialists recognized the potential of the diesel in enhancing motoring efficiency. They focused on the unique performance characteristics offered by the diesel in order to provide a new concept of The Ultimate Driving Machine. Above all, the development specialists used the performance of the diesel engine to develop superior torque from low engine speeds. As a result, the BMW diesel was soon able to offer its unique sporting character – in everyday driving situations, as well as on the race track. Indeed, it was this performance and reliability which made a BMW 320d the superior winner of the 24 Hours of Nürburgring as early as in 1998. In the same year BMW presented its first diesel engine with direct fuel injection ensuring even greater spontaneity in the development of power. In the process, the precise dosage of fuel helped to reduce fuel consumption and optimize combustion in the interest of even greater smoothness and refinement. Ultimately, given these qualities, the BMW diesel was appropriately prepared for the luxury performance class, with the first V8 diesel engine featuring direct fuel injection, which made its debut in the BMW 7 Series luxury sedan in 1999. Milestones in progress Common-rail direct fuel injection, Variable Twin Turbo Technology, maintenance-free diesel particulates filter, BluePerformance. In the years that followed, BMW made significant – perhaps revolutionary – progress in the areas of injection technology and diesel turbocharging: As early as 2001, the second generation of common-rail fuel injection pumped fuel into the combustion chambers at a pressure of up to 1,600 bar. In 2004, the BMW 535d became the first car to feature an inline-six diesel with Variable Twin Turbo Technology. BMW also introduced the second generation of the diesel particulates filter now featured as standard in all of the diesel models from Germany's premium manufacturer. The exhaust gas-cleaning unit is positioned directly on the exhaust manifold itself in order to ensure optimum efficiency very quickly and smoothly. The particulates filter does not require any maintenance and regenerates itself by incinerating the diesel particles. This filtering function is performed at all engine speeds and under all loads, without any reduction of engine power or increase in fuel consumption. BMW's current range comprises no less than seven diesel engines, three four-cylinder models, three six-cylinder models and a V8. Both the six- and four-cylinder engines have aluminum crankcases helping to significantly reduce the weight of these engines. A traditional handicap of the diesel engine, which adds weight due to the use of a cast iron crankcase (a much heavier material than aluminum) has nearly been phased out completely. The reduction of weight enhances the car's agility and, as a result, the sporting character of BMW's diesel models. Comparing the first six-cylinder BMW diesels from 1983 with the most powerful diesel engines of today, one can easily appreciate the progress made. Consider the following facts and figures: Maximum output of the inline-six engine is up 135 percent, maximum torque is up an even more impressive 170 percent. And despite this immense increase in power and muscle, average fuel consumption of the 3.0-liter engine featuring Variable Twin Turbo Technology is 20 percent lower than diesel engines of 1983. At the same time, exhaust emissions have been reduced dramatically, thanks to several new technologies. Indeed, a BMW diesel in the 2008 model year generates only 1 percent of the particulate emissions originally contained in the exhaust gas of a 1983 diesel model. The world's most sporting inline-six diesel: Ready for the USA. Despite these impressive facts and figures, BMW is continuing to upgrade the diesel engine to an even higher standard, and BMW Advanced Diesel with BluePerformance marks the next stage of development. This innovative technology now also fulfills US market demands in terms of power, performance, running smoothness, efficiency and emission limits. Both the 335d and the X5 xDrive35d will be launched in all 50 US states in the fall of 2008. Pricing will be announced closer to launch time.

FWIW, the European figures on that X3 is 29.1 mpg combined and 272 bhp. In Germany it gets 9.5L/100km combined (versus 10.5L/100km for this). I would wonder if Saab were using European figures or US EPA figures.

Do you know what... I completely agree! Edit: Now that I've seen the more detailed pics, I'm liking it a bit more. Scandinavian design is always about simplicity anyway, though this still doesn't have the immediate icy-cool-slash-carved-wood-factor of the Aero X.

I don't like the exterior - the normal CTS, in silver, in FE3, direct-injection spec, is perfection, IMO - but the interior looks fabulous. There's something Aston Martiny about it.

Toyota Estima, Honda Stream, Nissan Micra, Brilliance BS6, Buick GL8...

Actually, Honda does have a car that gets >35 MPG combined, the Civic Hybrid. The Camry Hybrid and Altima Hybrid, two "average" midsize sedans, aren't far behind at 34 MPG combined. The Ford Escape Hybrid, at 32 MPG combined, is not far behind. Considering we have 12 years and that CAFE uses a more lenient system, I'm still confident we'll get a 35 MPG average by 2020.

I believe it... I'm in Shanghai right now and there are tons of LaCrosses, GL8s, Excelles, Epicas, and the occasional SLS and Park Avenue. The Chinese LaCrosse and Park Avenue look better in person.. especially in black.

It really depends on whether you do rural or urban driving. I keep reading about how people get 30+ MPG in their 528i, Passat, or Odyssey, when in fact I only get 18, 21, and 16 MPG, respectively. All cars do surprisingly well at constant speeds. It's red lights, traffic, and acceleration that kill the fuel economy of any non-hybrid. I used to average 24 MPG on runs to a particular Barnes & Noble; lately, with all the holiday congestion, I could only average 17.5 MPG. I literally watched my average MPG drop from 32.4 MPG (high after a mile of coasting downhill) to 28.0 MPG during one traffic light!

The first and only Malibu I've seen on the roads is a black LS with a barcode. It zoomed by quickly, so it probably had the fleet-only V6.

Here's an equally interesting crash... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3ygYUYia9I Old Volvo vs. newish small Renault

A maroon Maserati Gran Turismo with chrome wheels... looked great.

Apparently Mobil 1 now uses a Group III base oil, which is considered semi-synthetic, although it's certainly possible that all the properties remain the same. Lots of BMW people insist on the German version of Castrol Syntec, which is full synthetic, available by mail or through some AutoZones. I just get whatever is on sale. Recently, that meant Mobil 1 0W40 (5 qts + Mobil 1 filter = $29.99 at Pep Boys) for the VW, Valvoline Synpower 5W30 (5 qts + Fram filter = $17.99 at Autozone) for the BMW, and Castrol dino 5W20 (5 qts + Bosch filter = $10.99) for the Honda. I figure as long as the intervals are short (5000 miles for the VW, 7500 for the BMW) and I use a decent filter, any synthetic should be fine.

I've found nav useful also at night, in rural-ish areas where there are no streetlights and you can't read the road signs.

The amount of GHGs emitted is a direct correlation with the amount of fossil fuel burned. A gallon of gasoline produces 19.4 lbs of CO2. In your link, the pollution they were talking about is carbon dioxide (a GHG), not traditional criteria pollutants (PM, NOx, VOCs, etc), which also contribute to climate change but in a different way.

In Europe, not the US. GM and Ford sell primarily fuel-efficient cars and vans in Europe, not full-size SUVs or trucks

They are... They're tackling the heavily polluting ships that come into our ports, which are mainly from China They're spending millions on the development of a "Hydrogen Highway" Cars are just one contributor to climate change and poor air quality, and CA is addressing many other sources

So it's like the BMW Z1, only better.

Turn-by-Turn is a nice freebie, but it's no replacement for full navigation. I've read lots of complaints about cell outages... http://reviews.cnet.com/sedan/2007-saturn-...7-32367724.html Test the tech: OnStar off-base One of the few digital highlights of our 2007 Saturn Aura Green Line was GM's OnStar telematics system, which on our test vehicle included the Connections and Directions turn-by-turn navigation service. Unlike LCD-based systems, OnStar's in-car navigation delivers automated voice-guided directions and text-based information to the car's in-dash display. We resolved to test OnStar to the point of breaking by requesting directions and then willfully disobeying its guidance. To set one's destination via OnStar, the driver has to press the blue OnStar button, which connects to a real, live OnStar representative (GM recently announced a partnership with MapQuest to enable drivers to send routes directly from a computer to the car, cutting out this step, but we like the human touch). Being immediately connected to the OnStar rep, we told her that we needed to get to Tehama Street, a small, back alley near CNET's headquarters in San Francisco. This is where the first of our journey's problems began. According to the nice lady, OnStar was experiencing technical difficulties due to a disruption to its cellular network coverage. As such, the system was unable to send out the text data that we would need for our journey. (Interestingly, we experienced a similar outage the last time that we tried to use the service in our review of the 2007 Chevy HHR in June). The OnStar rep told us that this kind of outage happened from time to time, and that there was a workaround: she would read out a list of the turn-by-turn directions, which we could record and play back to ourselves throughout the journey. We could activate playback by pressing the phone button and saying "Adviser playback." This would then give us the option of hearing the list of directions either from the start or from our last position. It sounded like a reasonable alternative--unless we took a wrong turn, in which case all subsequent directions would be wrong, and we would have to start the process over again by calling in to OnStar for new directions. Steeled with optimism, we resolved to give it a go. Starting out from St Joseph's Drive (see map) we were told by the recorded voice to "continue north to Geary Boulevard and turn right." We pulled off, drove north on St Joseph's, came to a T-junction, and turned right at what we thought must be Geary Boulevard. Alas, it was not. We had found ourselves on O'Farrell Street, and with no means of recalculating the route, we were left to our own devices to find our way to the destination. Rather than call back, we opened the glove box and pulled out a map. --- http://www.technoride.com/2006/08/onstar_t...ot_there_ye.php I set out in a Cadillac DTS with OnStar Turn-By-Turn, and began my weekend from hell. For a couple locations in the Adirondack area of New York State (that are both in Yahoo Maps and Microsoft Streets & Trips), the OnStar operators couldn't find a long-established road or even the road leading to that road. They could find the nearest town seven miles away (but had trouble downloading the directions for me) and a bigger town 65 miles away. OnStar also couldn't locate a been-there-forever country road in Keene, NY, and that's with OnStar having access to both of the major computerized roads databases from NavTeq and TeleAtlas (formerly GDT). My first eight calls to OnStar yielded two on-holds of 10-plus minutes before I was cut off, and the service made six failed attempts to download the information. OnStar blamed poor cell coverage and/or system problems. When I made my first few calls, I was working my way through traffic on Interstate 287 in New Jersey, near Interstate 80, and heading toward the New York State Thruway. If there was lousy cell coverage in one of the most populous areas of North America, my Verizon phone didn't know about it. It showed three bars, four bars, and just occasionally, two bars of signal strength, and OnStar uses the Verizon network. The operators were invariably polite, but sometimes I got the feeling that they were chosen for their affordability over their efficient and speedy problem-solving abilities. When I later talked through the problems I had with Nebo Nedeljkovic, OnStar's online service manager, he was able to locate two of three roads. He told me, "Although infrequent, there are incidents as you experienced." To be fair, if OnStar operators find the location you need but the OnStar technology can't download the GPS routing, there is a fallback: The operator can speak the instructions, the car records the voice (up to 90 seconds), and you can play back the instructions as needed. Other Limitations Assuming you can get route instructions downloaded (I had better luck on other days), going from city to country is no problem. You don't need cellular coverage at the end of your journey, only the GPS satellite network. But if you're in the scenic middle of nowhere tomorrow and can't get cell coverage, you can't call for routing for the second day's trip. And unfortunately, you can't ask OnStar to download and cache today's trip and tomorrow's trip. Only one trip can be in memory at a time. OnStar downloads a route corridor of information to get you back on track in case you make a wrong turn or pull off the interstate for fuel, but it's possible to stray off the route; you then have to call for revised directions. Or OnStar can give you compass directions to get back on course but not actual street names and turns. Also, if your GM car has traditional in-dash navigation, OnStar Turn-By-Turn can't link to it. That's an obvious and needed enhancement. OnStar is working on it, but gives no date for when it will be available. I think most people will be satisfied with Turn-By-Turn once OnStar gets the bugs out, but some will want both kinds of navigation, and they'll want the two interconnected. Key-85? No, E85 GM is big on alternative fuels, particularly E85, the 85-percent-ethanol, 15-percent-gasoline blend that many of its cars use. When I asked operators about locations near the New York Thruway for purchasing E85 fuel, though, they seemed baffled. On my second try, I got a supervisor who, after several minutes of research, said she couldn't find any gas stations called "Key-85." Finally, on my third try, I got an acknowledgement that New York State has just two E85 stations, and an offer to e-mail me a link to all current E85 stations nationwide. To its credit, Turn-by-Turn operators did find my home address, PC Magazine's address, the Pepsi Center in Albany (it's hard to miss, not unlike the Caddy I was driving), the Olympic ice arena in downtown Lake Placid, and a "Baptist church on Staten Island, N.Y." for which I deliberately left out the full name. That's OnStar at its best, both traditional OnStar Directions & Connections (the operator reads directions as you go) and OnStar Turn-By-Turn. If you know sort of where you're going and you get the city or town right, and the destination is urban or suburban, OnStar can tell you exactly where to go. TBT rollout through 2007 GM is rolling out the Turn-By-Turn service to its cars lines, about 1 million total of the 4 million it builds in a year, from now through the end of 2007. Currently the service is available in the Cadillac DTS; its mechanical twin, the Buick Lucerne; and the Cadillac STS. If your 2007 GM car doesn't come equipped with TBT, you can probably have it added or activated fairly easily. Actually, some GM cars, going back to about 2003, also can be retrofitted with up-to-date OnStar. There will be two kinds of retrofits: One is quick, easy, and affordable (other than the monthly service cost) and gives you Turn-By-Turn. The other will be necessary if you have a really old, analog-only OnStar system: It would give you digital OnStar but not OnStar Turn-By-Turn. The analog-only network goes dark around 2008, and if you don't upgrade by taking a three-year contract (in which case GM pops for the cost of the new equipment), you won't have OnStar service. That's going to be the case with other older (non-GM) cars offering first-generation telematics services. Other Downsides One other thing to know about OnStar: If you decide not to continue the service, OnStar disables the crash notification feature. It doesn't have to, but it does. Some other automakers keep emergency crash notification active even if you stop paying for the telematics-assist services they offer. (As required for any cell phone, the OnStar service has to be able to let you dial 911 manually, whether you've paid your bill or not.) I understand why GM does this: OnStar is a recurring revenue stream. If you get one of the key features for free, that's one less reason to re-up. Even so, it's still troublesome that GM deactivates a potentially lifesaving feature. A minor, non-life-threatening annoyance, for me: When you're on hold—and with OnStar you can be on hold a lot—you will hear, interspersed with the be-right-back recordings, repeating house advertisements for OnStar touting its reliability, efficiency, and usefulness. OnStar says there is no way to opt out. Better Luck Next Time? I'll try to drive Turn-By-Turn again in a few months and report on improvements. This is too promising a service to give up on. It will likely cost about $10 a month beyond basic OnStar, but since OnStar Turn-By-Turn is free for the first year, and the first cars got it this past spring, GM hasn't seen fit to tell buyers what they'll be paying for OnStar Turn-By-Turn come 2007. My belief is that Turn-By-Turn has to cost $10 a month in addition to the basic OnStar charge, because that's the going rate for competing navigation services, particularly the cell-phone navigation packages. Currently OnStar is $200 a year for the basic Safe & Sound package of remote door unlock, emergency notification, vehicle diagnostics (uploaded to your dealership and also sent to you as free e-mails), and stolen vehicle tracking (but no navigation help). The Directions & Connections package, $400 a year, adds operator-assisted navigation instructions, where the operator actually stays on the line with you during trips (short ones, at least). Most likely the Turn-By-Turn service will come in around $300 a year, because it involves less operator-assist time each month, though it's possible GM could just stick to $400 a year. Like most technology, TBT, Version 1.0 needs improvement. And if General Motors is going to survive, the company needs to hit home runs with its cars and services. OnStar has that promise, and some facets are unique or best-in-class, such as the diagnostic uploads and the operator lookup, direction download service. Right now, though, the best you can say is that OnStar's glass is half full. --- Again, TBT is better than nothing, but it's not as useful as an interactive map, which you can use immediately to find alternate routes. But yes, TBT is cheaper.

There are only two emissions standards - California (California, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, and Utah, making up the majority of the population) and the others - not fifty.

H3 "Get Your Girl On" ad... http://www.dhadm.com/mediaHolder.php?id=900

I see quite a lot of them on the roads here, and almost all the time, it's driven by women. Usually picking up kids at the nearby intermediate school.

It's cramped inside, and outward visibility sucks. It's like the Magnum you loathe, only slower, less useful, more expensive to fill up, poorer handling, harder to climb into, cramped in the back, with a giant spare tire on the hatch and less cargo capacity than a RAV4. Very little "utility." Its fuel economy is actually worse than the Tahoe - 13/18 and 242 hp vs. 14/19 and 320 hp. So, yes, that would make an absurd daily driver, IMO. Slower 0-60 than a 4-cylinder RAV4, too.

Well, at least you got them to consider and test drive the Malibu. That alone is progress.

You can get it in certain parts of Asia, too.

It's no worse than Lambo's Supperlegeras, Ferrari's Challenge Stradales, Porsche's GT2s, and Aston's DBS. They're all slightly race car cheesy and showy, but still usable, retaining A/C, navigation, airbags, and other luxuries.