Flybrian

A well-equipped, refined RWD Toyota eliminates much of the business case for a Lexus LS. What compells one to purchase an LS then? Prestige? Pfft.

Since as of this morning I have an unbelievable amount of free time, I'll be glad to swing by a dealership and take a look-see. If you do end up buying in FL, I have a great dealership to recommend.

Does this factor in that appliances are often cheaper or that daily usage has increased?

Ta-da!

1969 Plymouth Satellite 1:18 1967 Satellite by Highway 61 - $48-52 1980 Olds Omega or Chevette 1:64 1978 Chevy Chevette by MotorMax - $1.99 a Bubble Caprice 91-93 1:60 1991-93 Chevy Caprice by Welly - $1.00-2.00 1:64 1991-93 Chevy Caprice by Road Champions - $2.99-4.99

Compare a Park Avenue with and without wood trim to see what a difference it makes. Of course, it all depends on the car, where its used, and how much is used. Strategic trimming can add luxury and warmth to the cabin; Chrysler 5th Avenue-style overkill is disgusting. And if you want to look at wood done wrong, look at any Korean car. Horrid, fake-as-hell garbage.

1960 - the last year of the decent-looking Plymouth.

Really? Which hardtops aside from the CLK? Most coupes have b-pillars and frameless windows. And the presence of a b-pillar doesn't seem to restrain sales of Saleen Mustangs much. The Camaro is not a touring coupe; its a muscle car. Comparing it to a CLK and figuring on the sole factor of 'because they do it, we should too' is ridiculous.

Saturn doesn't currently make a car large enough for me to desire in that way, but the Aura is damn close.

The G35 is just one of those cars that shows its lesser origins. The more time you spend around it, the more you realize it really is a Nissan.

If foreign sales %s continue to rise because more cars are sold, excellent news. If foreign sales %s continue to rise because cars sold overseas are making up for falling domestic sales, not so good news.

Congratulations! DeVilles are great cars for the price they command, which is stupid low. Comfortable, always well-equipped, powerful, reasonably-economical, and spacious.

Well...not in this millenium at least...

Saturn's Sticker Shock Vue bows with $3,295 price increase By RICK KRANZ | Link to Original Article @ AutoWeek | Updated: 04/30/07, 8:46 am et When the 2008 Saturn Vue appears at dealerships next month, previous owners may feel some sticker shock. The base price for the re-engineered, restyled Vue is $21,395 including shipping, a $3,295 bump over the 2007 model. The base price of the crossover is close to that of such 2007 rivals as the Honda CR-V, at $21,195, and Toyota RAV4, at $21,595. But it is above the Ford Escape, which stickers for $19,985. All prices include shipping. "Keep in mind that the previous model had a smaller four-cylinder engine with a manual transmission," says Robert Reuter, global vehicle chief engineer for General Motors' compact crossover vehicles. A four-speed automatic transmission and a bigger engine - a 169-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder - are standard on the 2008. A manual transmission is no longer offered. Added standard equipment includes stability control, head curtain airbags, antilock brakes, collapsible pedals and 16-inch alloy wheels. "They are trying to move Saturn upmarket. They really want to take it out of that kind of low end of the spectrum," says Erich Merkle, director of forecasting at IRN Inc., a consulting firm in Grand Rapids, Mich. "But the question remains: Is the market ready to make that leap with them?" Merkle thinks that at some point after the new Vue goes on sale, Saturn could be forced to spur sales by reducing content from the base vehicle and lowering its price. Saturn General Manager Jill Lajdziak would not predict Vue sales. Last year 82,468 Vues were sold, ending the year as Saturn's No. 2 vehicle. ----------------------- For comparison's sake, to bring a 2007 VUE up to 2008 base VUE levels (automatic, ABS, side-curtain airbags, MP3, floor mats, XM), the total would be $21,699, a $300 advantage for the new VUE. Keep in mind that doesn't include Stabilitrak, body-color mirrors, disc brakes, and 25 more horsepower that the 2008 VUE has.

GM to raise non-U.S. sales above 60% CEO Rick Wagoner says he hopes the increase doesn't come at the expense of domestic sales Greg Bensinger | Bloomberg News | Link to Original Article @ DetNews General Motors Corp. plans to increase sales outside the U.S. to more than 60 percent of the company's total, as its domestic sales decline. The automaker reached 60 percent in the first quarter because of increases in China and other emerging markets. "That number is just going to continue to grow," Chief Executive Officer Rick Wagoner said Friday on a conference call from New York. "I hope not by reducing our sales in the U.S." GM may lose lead to Toyota GM expects to sell 9.2 million vehicles worldwide this year, company sales analyst Paul Ballew said on the call. It would be Detroit-based GM's highest total since 9.55 million in 1978. That may not be enough to fend off a challenge for the annual global sales lead from Toyota Motor Corp., which has forecast sales of 9.34 million vehicles this year. Toyota sold 2.35 million vehicles worldwide in the first quarter, beating GM's 2.26 million and threatening the U.S. company's 76-year reign as the world's biggest automaker. GM hasn't had an annual sales gain in the U.S. since 1999 and got 55 percent of its total outside its home market last year. The U.S. sales declines contributed to $12.4 billion in losses the past two years. GM said first-quarter profit fell 90 percent to $62 million. Markets outside the U.S. may eventually account for two- thirds of the company's vehicle sales, Ballew said. Forecasting a record "We will do well over 5 million units this year outside the U.S. market," he said. "That will be an all-time record for us." Last year, such sales totaled 4.2 million. GM's sales in its Asia-Pacific region probably will rise to 1.5 million this year. Ballew said. The region's total last year was 1.26 million. During the past six weeks, GM has "seen some softness in large-truck sales in the U.S.," mainly because of rising gasoline prices, Ballew said. The company's large sport-utility vehicles have been most affected, he said. GM on May 1 reported April declines of 26 percent for the GMC Yukon large SUV and 12 percent for the similar-sized Chevrolet Tahoe. GM's 8.375 percent note due July 2033 fell 0.44 cent to 91 cents on the dollar, yielding 9.3 percent, according to Trace, the NASD's bond-price reporting service.

Correct. It can be computer-generated, but the key thing to remember is it must be an original piece, not a modification (chop).

They aren't? Didn't Virgil Exner shoot himself over this car?

You can continue with the orgy as long as ugly cars are not posted.

Should I be obligated to?

:rotflmao: Just 'cause your STS was a pile of junk when you bought it doesn't mean they all are.

I've seen that with a Trans Sport. I've said it before and I'll say it again - if the '97+ vans were as innovative and larger than the Dustbusters, GM would still be making them today.

Why does every mid-70s Japanese car look welfare-y?

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All you have to do is look around to see the changing face of rental fleets. Sure, the old stalwarts (Impala, Sebring, Grand Prix, Cobalt) are there, but some surprising new faces like the '07 Altima, Avalon, Camry, and Eclipse are proliferating greatly.