Flybrian

So, Toni...are you down with OPP?

"Not covered because its a parking lot accident"? That's a load of crap. They need to cover it regardless. And if this is your 4th accident, we're tied. Sorry to hear it and hope everything works out and it gets fixed good as new! Keep us updated...

'Till you come to Florida... Or anyone comes to Florida... I shall remain lonely...

Oh, please. What is so 'pukey' about the Torrent?

~250 miles in a 2005 Durango rental - ~20k miles - 4.7l V8 - right rear power window died - A/C determined its own blower speed and temp - glovebox wouldn't latch adn rattled the entire ride - nosedived with moderate braking, wallowed over everything - mostly interstate driving yielded 12-13mpg. I think the only SUV I've felt less comfortable in was a '96 Blazer and that was because it felt like it was going to tumble over on every corner. All that, by the way, is beyond the absolutely appalling exterior styling. I don't like that, and I've admitted as much. Remember, the Aspen is a 'new' Chrysler product, one of these stunning, take-no-prisoners examples of premium American luxury. I just feel most of these gee-whiz Chrysler as of late are more flash than anything.

I'd make more comments, but I could only make 12 cu ft of them here.

I just go. I don't even go that often. In fact, when I test drove the Compass, I wasn't even looking to; guy came out and said "want to take a drive?" Uh, d'uh...yes. When a friend of mine was semi-interested in the ION Red Line, we drove everything Saturn had. Salesman assured us we weren't wasting his time and he "gets paid either way." If they ask, I always give them the honest answer, that I may be interested in a car in the next year and no I won't be trading my Aurora (for anything). If they say no, they say no.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ Sorry. Fell asleep. Seen too many. Nah, that one looks quite handsome actually.

I like the stickers plastered all over them at the dealerships and the auto show reading "I'm 68% bigger!"

How come the tri-zone in the DTS doesn't take any extra room...ditto with the Phaeton?

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In retrospect, maybe I shouldn't have wanted a Jag Mark X...

Every one of my female high school classmates that owned a VW. More rough trannies than a dark Friday night in east Tampa.

There's a silver/gray Aura XE sitting at the local Saturn dealership and I plan on testing it if it hasn't been bought or whatever. Let me know!

1961 Rambler American? Classic?

Is it a '61 Rambler...Ambassador?

This sums it up perfectly... I will agree this is an ideal sedan service car.

Future Products—Suzuki By AUTOMOTIVE NEWS Link to Original Article @ AutoWeek AutoWeek | Published 08/16/06, 8:04 am et ----------------------------- Aerio, Aeria: The Aerio wagon will be dropped during the 2007 model year. Forenza: A freshening is planned for the 2008 model year. Reno: Reno is the hatchback version of the Forenza. It may get a high-performance engine for the 2008 model year. Swift: The company will bring the next-generation Swift hatchback to the United States in 2010 to compete with such vehicles as the Honda Fit. A hybrid sedan is a possibility. The Swift last was sold here in 2002. Verona: U.S. sales never hit projections, so the car will be dropped at the end of the 2006 model year. The Verona was built by GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co. Quality problems with the engine and transmission also were issues. Sources say the upcoming, redesigned Verona may be exported to the United States in the 2008 or 2009 model year. If so, Suzuki execs say they want to be in charge of the engine technology. SX4: The SX4 crossover goes on sale this fall. The five-seat hatchback was developed on the Swift platform and is Suzuki's first crossover. All-wheel drive, antilock brakes and six airbags are standard. The base model is powered by a new 143-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 136 pounds-feet of torque. Suzuki has developed an awd racing version, called the SX4 WRC. That vehicle will run in the European World Rally Championship series starting in August 2007. A production model also is planned. Grand Vitara: The small SUV is due for a freshening in 2009. XL7: The redesigned 2007 XL7 crossover is the largest vehicle Suzuki has ever sold in this country. Five- and seven-passenger seating is offered. The XL7 is developed on General Motors' front-drive Theta platform, shared by the Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent. Awd is optional. The new 3.5-liter engine delivers an estimated 250 hp, 65 hp more than its predecessor. Pickup: Nissan will provide Suzuki with a small pickup to sell in the United States in the 2009 model year. A version of the Frontier is likely.

Yeah. Its one of those oblivious-to-the-obvious kinda things.

Big 3 Performance Cadillac Escalade Milwaukee tuner builds the truck Detroit wouldn’t By ROGER HART Link to Original Article @ AutoWeek AutoWeek | Published 08/09/06, 10:04 am et Jason Fowler has owned a variety of muscle cars and sports cars over the years, but as his family grew and his fishing interests increased he started looking for an SUV that could also tow a boat. There are several performance-oriented SUVs on the market—BMW X5, Porsche Cayenne, Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, not to mention luxury trucks from Range Rover and Mercedes—but none of these fit what Fowler was looking for. He’s a self-admitted Detroit-iron kinda guy. What Fowler really wanted was the rumored Cadillac Escalade V, powered by a 500-plus-hp V12. Unfortunately, a rumor is all it was. GM decided the market for such a beast was too limited, and spent the money elsewhere. Fowler got a base 2005 Escalade. While that Escalade packs a 6.0-liter, 345-hp V8 (for 2007 GM gave it a new 6.2-liter V8 rated at 403 hp and 417 lb-ft), Fowler wanted still more. Enter Big 3 Performance. The small Waukesha, Wisconsin, shop has tuned a variety of Detroit iron through the years, and when Fowler dropped off his Cadillac the craftsmen went to work, making their own version of the Escalade V. The list of upgrades to the ’Sclade is long: Eaton Magnacharger supercharger with intercooler, 6.6-liter stroker kit with forged pistons, Stage 2 heads that are ported and polished, Crane valvetrain, stainless-steel headers, high-flow catalysts, cat-back exhaust, double-roller timing chain and a high-flow oil pump. The upgraded fuel system has a bigger fuel pump, new injectors and a larger mass air sensor. According to Big 3’s Anthony Stevenson, “This engine now makes a conservative 725 hp and more than 800 lb-ft of torque.” All that power is routed through the stock 4wd system, but a larger torque converter allows for a higher stall speed. The result: 0 to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds. Not bad considering the vehicle weighs 5700 pounds. The last stock Escalade we tested in 1999 needed nearly 10 seconds to get to 60 mph. Other modifications include shorter and stiffer springs to lower the truck one inch, plus heavy-duty shocks and larger antiroll bars. And that scoop on the fiberglass hood, yeah, it’s a functional ram-air unit. Rounding out the trim package are custom embroidered headrests and floormats with the V emblem, V badges, a mesh grille and ghost flames, and 20-inch Vogue wheels. We drove Fowler’s Escalade V in the Kettle Moraine area around Kohler, Wisconsin. No question, the thing is a beast when you dip hard into the throttle, and you feel the left front rise up noticeably in a full-throttle launch from a standing start. Once at speed, the Escalade quiets down and resorts back to a more docile manner. The ride is firmer than the last stock Escalade we drove but it corners much better than the stock truck. All the performance comes at a hefty price: $45,000 on top of the $56,905 base price of the Escalade. But Fowler is more than satisfied with the results. “I wanted a performance truck that could tow a boat and be my daily driver,” he said, the Escalade’s dual roles evidenced by a child safety seat in the back and a generous helping of fishing gear onboard. “I’ve got 14,000 miles on it and I couldn’t be happier,” he reports.

And yet this is probably the most honest, true-to-fact, representative action of any politicial as of late. The average American will tell you hybrids save gas, we should all save gas, etc. The average American will then buy a V6, V8, pickup, or SUV. In this case, Obama is truly representing the constituancy.

Yes. Don't wait to file a police report. That is only important if its clear its someone else's fault and you have witnesses/the person at fault alongside the road with you. You can forward that police report to AAA at any time. If you haven't called your agent yet, do it now.

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With Approved Credit. Granted, most people lease Jags, too. I just know I'd rather have an XJ over a 7er. Who can't love a car made from aluminum?

50/50 chance they cover it while jacking up your insurance rates to astronomical levels or simply drop you. They also could drop you afterwards; its happened to folks I know with Geico. Sorry to hear it and good luck whatever the outcome. You're okay, though. That's the obviously important thing.