Flybrian

Who has? Serious question. What OEM-developed innovation has shook the automotive community in the past 30 years? 40? 50? Who gets the credit for ABS? Mercedes who first made it available, BMW who first made it standard, or GM for proliferating it throughout its lineup at all price levels? Your criteria is so narrow that no one has done anything new since the Hydromatic in the 1940s. What exactly had Toyota innovated prior to the Synergy Drive? Nothing. Toyota had brought absolutely no revolutionary innovation to the global automotive community over the entire course of its 50+ year history until several years ago. Even now, the 'success' of hybrid techonology is driven by its acceptance in one market by virtually one vehicle. Europeans haven't bitten the bullet and Japanese themselves likely see no value in a technology that increase mileage by a paltry amount over their already super efficient supersmall minicars. And also tell me - if you were writing this in 1999, what manufacturer would you have waged on to come out with successful, functioning, marketable hybrid technology first? Toyota, who was reeling from the failure of its RAV EVs or Honda who has also been engineering efficient powertrains and stood on the precipice of introducting a small commuter hybrid that achieved 60+mpg?

Even more of an ugly pug on the outside than the last Accord. Yuck. I fail to understand the need for such a large ass bumper. Lasik is an affordable solution to your lack of visual acuity. Its a mishmash of cribbed and unusual styling cues haphazardly thrown onto a chunky body. The blocky grille structure has no business being on a smooth front fascia. What's up with the caved-in rear quarters, the flat decklid with a protruding tumor of a bumper, and the overplayed door handle crease? There is way too much surfacing added to front and rear of this car that the absence of it on the sides is glaring. Its all done in an empty attempt to be 'exciting' and fails. Fix the grille, get rid of that funky ass, smooth out EV-ER-RY-THING, do away with the creases-to-nowhere, and you may have an upscale vehicle. As is, it looks so much like a Hyundai or Kia that I can already see the headlamps discoloring and the clearcoat pealing off like all chintzy Korean boxes.

Not really a fair competition, though. Again, I'd like to see an SS vs. a Hemi.

Michagan State Police Car Testing Link to Original Article and Photos @ Autoblog Some results... 0-60 6.35s - Dodge Magnum 5.7l 8.17s - Ford Crown Vic (3.55) 8.24s - Chevy Impala 9C1 3.9l 8.24s - Chevy Tahoe 5.3l 8.28s - Chevy Impala 9C1 3.9l E85 8.36s - Ford Crown Vic (3.27) 8.75s - Chevy Suburban 6.0l 0-80 10.44s - Dodge Magnum 5.7l 13.16s - Chevy Impala 9C1 3.9l 13.19s - Chevy Impala 9C1 3.9l E85 13.51s - Chevy Tahoe 5.3l 13.60s - Ford Crown Vic (3.55) 13.63s - Ford Crown Vic (3.27) 14.19s - Chevy Suburban 6.0l 0-100 15.82s - Dodge Magnum 5.7l 21.61s - Chevy Impala 9C1 3.9l E85 21.68s - Chevy Impala 9C1 3.9l 22.20s - Ford Crown Vic (3.55) 22.72s - Ford Crown Vic (3.27) 22.79s - Chevy Tahoe 5.7l lol @ Crown Vic. Time to go home, grandpa. I'd love to see how an Impala SS would've done, too.

Lexus also stacks the deck with the absolutely mediocre, budget non-first-tier ES and rode the SUV wave as much as anyone. The 'core' models they love espousing about are stagnant and the GS is tanking like nuts.

Subtle would be removing an emblem; that's just oblique. But yeah. Removing some grille elements would actually look better. Cutlasses always had funny grilles compared to other G-coupes.

This reminded me to bid on an AM/FM 8-track deck for the LeSabre.

Compared to the Fit, the Versa is just horribly chintzy both in looks and actual quality. Take a look at the wheelcovers that don't even look properly-seated.

Because you never see fine-print disclaimer anytime a manufacturer mentions best seller, largest, roomiest, etc? Yes, in fact, they do include specifics as to where data was sourced from, what vehicles were included, etc. Also, so? Buick offers a small, more expensive lineup than Hyundai. Its an illogical comparison. Yes, but how many know that the Sonata and that other piece of crap vastly outsells the rest of the lineup? It creates the false impression to the general public that most Hyundais are made in the U.S. Again, its worth pointing out that 75% of Hyundai's lineup is imported. Not a problem if Hyundai didn't predicated this entire campaign on 'clearing up misconceptions' and using 'facts.' This isn't a 30sec tv commercial, a radio ad, or a flyer in the newspaper; this is an entire website that portends to educated people on the 'truth' of Hyundai. Ironically, its short on both truth and facts, but has tons of misconceptions of its own. Of course, some folks who buy Hyundais may have switched from Japanese cars but would never consider a domestic because their aunt's neighbor's Fifth Avenue was a piece of crap. How was the quality on those old Ponys? I suppose illogical facts appeal to those sort of consumers.

Got no idea what you did there...

Buick LaCrosse Super or Buick Lucerne CXS.

Vibe HHR Astra <---- As a hatchback, the Yaris is an embarassment to be seen in.

Camino is selling these cars to buy his most desired one, a 2006 Corolla XRS. He's going to use leftover money to retore an unloved '92 Lumina APV with his Tonka My First Lil' Plastic Extruding Machine.

Went to see my friend Donald today and check out his new CTS. Along the way I had some target practice. "Bandit in sight, 12 o'clock. Closing." "Target acquired. Weapons hot." "Fox 3! Splash one Prius." So, here's his car and mine. You know my boat; his is a 2007 Cadillac CTS 2.8 automatic. Lovely little car and while not the most optioned-out Caddy, its a definite step up from his '02 SL2. He has a 3yr/39,000 miles lease for around $299/mo.

Congratulations. This is a strikingly similar result to my 'total' collision, so I'm glad it worked out that way! But I do lol at a Prizm Restoration Kit.

Not in any GM car as of late, who still manages to include a decent jack and tire iron with most every car. Compare to a Hyundai Elantra I had as a rental that blew a tire. The jack wasn't even greased and the tire iron was a virtually straight rod that gives you zero leverage to loosen a lug.

That's redundant.

As some of you may know, I busted my oil pan about a year ago on Tampa's infamously decrepit Kennedy Blvd. After calling a local shop who has always given me good service, I was quoted a price of $1200 to replace the oil pan because it was necessary to remove the engine and much of the transaxle to do it. First I thought they were ridiculously high, but after browsing the Aurora forums, I found that was a shockingly reasonable price given the day-and-a-half's worth of labor needed to do the job. People there have been quoted anywhere from $1000-4000 to do it. Some shops wouldn't even attempt it. I set a new record for oil pan repair today by calling the local Cadillac dealership that half-ass serviced my car when it needed a transmission sensor replaced under warranty. Told them the story - small crack in pan, no huge gash, what could I do? I was told it needed to be replaced. Period. Couldn't be repaired because its aluminum and gets hot(??). They'd do it, though. Would take them three days and cost $5500. They also recommended replacing certain filters and such in the transmission since it would all be apart. I bet they do. That would add another $500. Told them thanks, whateva'... My solution was implemented last year. A $40 tub of Cotronics thermal aluminum epoxy (like JB Weld but just for aluminum). The result? I drip a little bit of oil, about a half quart a month I figure depending on how much I drive. I plan on getting the mix better this autumn when the weather cools and patching it for good, but even at the current rate, for my low-ball $1200 price, I can just keep adding oil for 36 more years (6 qts/yr, $5.50/qt). What struck me is that some people would use this as an excuse to simply get a new car. Rather, how dealer service departments use such excuses to get people into a new car. Just my random thought for the day.

More Cadillacs have graced your driveway than the West Palm Beach Supper Club's. And that's remarkable.

I will have to say its ironic that a car named Millenia was afflicted with this... As far as the modern vs. vintage debate - owning such a pair myself - I can say without a doubt I would give up the LeSabre before I did my Aurora. We have a longer history together and she will always have a special place in my heart as the first car of my very own. Of the two, it would also be much harder to replace, not so much in terms of color and mileage, but in mechanicals. I know what was wrong, what was fixed, what issues are still present; buying another one, I simply do not. The LeSabre is harder to find in such great original exterior condition, but mechanically, what you see is what you get. Its far easier to tell what's wrong and what needs replacing. And if that doesn't really make sense to anyone, I don't care, because I'm not getting rid of anything anyway and never will. But I also understand that for me, the LeSabre is the 'alternate', 'weekend', or 'utility' car rather than a daily driver. Even with working A/C and radio, the mileage is still horrendous to be puttering around daily. And though I'm no Sierra Club Driveway of the Year, I'd like to see double digits. My Aurora gets 18-23 in town. The LeSabre is probably getting 7-8. Even those overly-optimistic EPA76 ratings were 18 on the highway. For pure economics, modern FTW.

Its not the tire iron's fault, rather the schmuck at the shop who airguns the damn lugs like he's riviting the hull of the Missouri. I've had that issue a few times. I've used my spare twice - once out of necessity (no fix-a-flat or anything with me) and once more recently out of convenience. I have no problem with donut spares; its certainly more space-efficient than a fullsize tire and wheel. I don't know where they get this idea that donuts have a lifespan of five miles or so anyway; just don't drive like and idiot and they'll last a decent amount of time. Although, my LeSabre is supposed to have a fullsize spare and jack but has neither. I really dont intend on getting anything to store in the car because the way its positioned is ridiculously inefficient and takes up a &#036;h&#33;load of trunk space just like Ford's stupid Crown Vic has it. Plus, I don't like the idea of a bumper jack further warping the bumpers.

2008 Saturn Astra Image Gallery Note the navigation display in this 'production' Astra.

If some Navy personnal drove one on leave, would it be a SAC full of semen?

The Vibe was inferior in powertrain quality and optioning. GT with a stick only? AWD with as much power as a Yaris?

Pontiac's G6 GXP Street Edition new 'Halo' car To be offered in a Best Buy contest September 12, 2007 - In conjunction with a dizzying array of promotions hyping the launch of Halo 3 on the Xbox 360 on September 25th, Best Buy has announced it will be handing out this Halo 3 themed Pontiac G6 GXP Street Edition to a lucky contest winner. Interested contestants need to pick up a copy of Halo 3 (not necessarily from BB so far as we can tell), then hit up this site on launch day to register. After that, 144 random winners will get a big collection of Microsoft Points. Following that drawing, one of these 144 will be selected to win the grand prize Halo 3 Pontiac. Not too bad, especially when all you have to do is register and then play the game. CLICK HERE to enter! PONTIAC IS EXPLOITING THE SERENDIPITOUS timing of the launches of the new Xbox 360 game, "Halo 3," and its own factory-tuned GXP version of the G6 car with a cross-promotional campaign that includes one of the new raft of TV spots for the GXP cars--plus events and interactive components touting the car and the game, which goes on sale midnight on Sept. 24. The new ads this fall, via Leo Burnett, Detroit-based interactive agency Digitas and Hollywood, Calif.-based Stardust Productions, include a recently launched 60-second ad and two 30-second spots. In the ads, the cars--the GXP versions of G6, Solstice and Torrent crossover--and the urban world through which they pass, are shot in black and white and appear in 2-D rendering. As the creative transmogrifies into 3-D imagery, the cars fill out and colorize, feature by feature. Each spot is tagged with voiceover from actor Matt Dillon, and features the music track "Pogo" from EMI/Virgin recording artists Digitalism. Jeff Cruz, senior vice president and creative director at Leo Burnett, says the Halo tie-in is explicit in a 30-second cut down of the "Details" spot. In that ad, the G6 is zooming through a black-and-white 2-D world, and as it goes through a transformation to 3-D, the "Halo 3" logo appears on roadside flags, light poles and on wild postings in tunnels. The car finishes with a power slide in front of a billboard for the game. The billboard then turns from 2-D to 3-D as well, becoming a full-color, animated video showing some of the footage from the new game. Finally, the spot touts a "Halo 3" promotion housed at Pontiac.com/halo3, offering a chance for consumers to play the game before it is released in stores on Sept. 25. Pontiac held an exclusive event in New York last night for a small number of people to pay the game. Also, Pontiac may run "Halo 3" content on its LED-illuminated Times Square billboards on the eve of the game's launch, which will take place at the Times Square Toys R Us. Cruz says the deal was easy to do because Digitas had worked with the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant on other initiatives. "Our car was coming out in September, they had "Halo 3" coming, so there was an opportunity to play ball together and help each other out," he says. Brad Tucker, creative director at Stardust, says the broad GXP effort is focused on bringing forth vehicle details. "They start off black and white, and slowly the chrome builds up until there's a photo-real look feature by feature, but it's a little non-linear, and the effect jumps from car to car to car," he says. "They brought us the idea and knew they wanted to build up the idea of bringing in details. We story-boarded it, showed them the look and feel." The new GXP spots will run on NCAA broadcasts, of which Pontiac is a sponsor, this fall and shows like "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Kimmel appears in ads for GM's OnStar. Separately, Halo 3 is getting track time on Nascar's Nextel Cup circuit. Racer David Stremme's No. 40 car will wear a "Halo 3" paint scheme. Target and Microsoft are giving certain drivers the chance to play the game as well, per a joint promotion.