Flybrian

This 'degree ratio' thing is pretty meaningless. I have friends with 4-year degrees working at Ruby Tuesdays. My father has mostly trade school education, yet he makes a very comfortable living and has travelled around the world back in the day as a union pipefitter. So...yeah...

That totally sounds like someone from India.

First, welcome to the board! Hope you enjoy it here! For the Enclave, it will debut at first in CX and CXL trims both powered by the 3.6l VVT (275hp) with AWD optional on each. The CXS version will likely be available late-'08/early-'09 as a 2009 model alongisde a GMC Acadia Denali. They will probably boast more standard equipment, unique features, and the first application of a UV8 eight-cylinder DOHC engine with around or more than 300hp.

Happy Birthday... !

Do you people who see 'popular' Calibers and Sebrings understand that the vast majority are probably rentals? Chrysler has thousands and thousands of cars that dealers can't swallow because they're still sitting on last year's models. And I don't care about how 'tough' the Nitro is or how 'OMGMYPANTS' the Magnum SRT-8 is because NO ONE IS BUYING THEM. How many SRTs of anything have you seen? How many 300s with barcodes have you seen? Its a sad, sad thing that the first time I see a recent new Chrysler product like the Commander, Aspen, Sebring, Avenger, or Nitro it has a rental barcode somewhere on the glass. I'll bust out these numbers again because its obviously necessary: 300 - 28% fleet Caliber - 37% fleet Charger - 35% fleet Durango - 41% fleet Magnum - 49% fleet And before someone does the predictable thing and bring up the Malibu, Impala, and Grand Prix, we know and that's the point. Remember, these are the 'hot' models that 'show no signs of cooling off' and 'everyone wants one.' It shows you just how well Chrysler can move the metal, i.e. it cannot. It cannot sell the glut of Rams languishing on dealer lots, even with $3000, $5000, sometimes $7000 on the hood. It can't sell the Durango. It can't sell the Dakota. It can't sell much. You can lust over the HEMI and brag about how the SRTs PWN everything in sight, but it does not matter at all in the context of what is best for General Motors if they are acquiring Chrysler! You guys are forgetting that with all this supposed good that comes with the altruistic saving of Chrysler comes all the pain and suffering - the organizational duplication, the excess plant capacity, the unneeded workers, the duplicate platforms, the duplicate engineering, the extra dealers, the overwhelming amount of warranty claims, the unsold inventory...not to mention how its going to be possible to fully integrate engines, transmissions, parts, etc. into its own corporate structure in the long term. You all are thinking with your hearts, not your minds. You want GM to be the savior and save another 'great' American institution. Fine. Let them. And in the process, let GM end up martyring itself so we can have one more decade of Chrysler products that can't give themselves away. GM CANNOT AFFORD TO DEAL WITH CHRYSLER'S PROBLEMS BECAUSE GM HAS ENOUGH PROBLEMS OF ITS OWN. I also don't understand where people get this idea that Chrysler is 'one great product away' from a turnaround. Its had several great products and its still in the toilet. Remember the K-car? The minivan? The explosion of Jeep? The LH-cars? The Ram? The LX-Cars? All 'great,' remember? And if the federal government can't help Chrysler out, how can another still-ailing automaker hope to accomplish it? GM has far, far more to benefit from watching Chrysler crash and burn and tear itself to shreds and swoop in to gather the worthwhile pieces from its carcass than it does wasting hundreds of millions of dollars trying to help stabilize an organization that hasn't been able to keep itself in the black for the past thirty-five years. And so do I. Because I'm a General Motors fan first, and I can also see what will happen to the remaining members of the American auto industry if they get too wrapped up in 'helping' Chrysler. Here's a few hints - Toyota. Hyundai. Nissan. They're smart enough not to get involved in a full-on aquisition. GM should be that smart, too.

IMO, it looks very bad in the front. Envision the plastic cladding going up to the top of the lower air dam, about six inches below the chrome strip. Ahh, that's much better.

I can make a case for Dodge, but I cannot for Chrysler. Name one real appealing Chrysler product. 300. That's it. And even its desirability is waning. The PT Cruiser would sell just as well if it were a Plymouth as originally intended, the Sebring sells well...to Enterprise, the 300 again is only desirable in Touring and C trims, the Town & Country would sell just as well under any other nameplate, the Pacifica is a decent performer but nothing incredibly special, and the Aspen is a joke.

Thanks, and I'm basing my statement on the assumption that Chrysler more or less evaporates with individual consortiums picking up the tangible resources leftover (plants, platforms, licensing, etc). If this can happen - and I'm not even sure it can or will - then GM has nothing to lose by acquiring just enough to plug holes in its own lineup at minimum expense. Rework the minivan lines to adopt GM powertrains, rework the Caliber likewise and give it to Pontiac as the next Vibe, keep as much of Jeep as authentic as possible (it will simply be the Jeep/Hummer Division), and let someone else deal with the UAW, the servicing, the warranties, and all the other bull$h!. GM would naturally gain marketshare as many who buy Dodge and Chrysler would rather simply buy another American car. The Ram is rapidly aging at at the end of its product cycle. It'll be discontinued and those buyers can move into GM trucks. LX-cars would likewise die, but here comes the G8 and likewise. Anyone who cares about the Sebring and Avenger will be more than happy with an Epsilon car. Minivan buyers and Jeep lovers would see minimal changes to their preferred cars. Again, all hypothetical and perhaps unrealistic, but I would like someone to tell me how the above possibility would not benefit GM? Also, to the MOPAR fans, guess what? I like some Chryslers, too. I also loved Oldsmobile and I'm glad that if the oldest car manufacturer and a true institution had to die, it died going out with a lineup of some rather great cars. If Chrysler had to die, would you rather it go out now and see its legacy live on partially through the remaining domestic manufacturers or would you want it to meander aimlessly as a money-bleeding independent with lousy, half-ass and inferior automobiles, finally dying in the automotive gutter forgotten, unloved, and uncared for like Plymouth or AMC?

It is a great engine. No one said it wasn't. Looking at this from a business perspective along with a what's best for GM perspective, its best for Chrysler to wither and die while GM picks up the useful pieces. If this occurs: 1 - GM naturally gains marketshare. 2 - GM gets minivans and some technology it may desire. 3 - GM gets the lucurative Jeep division as a lower-end companion to HUMMER 4 - GM lets someone else deal with the union tie-ups, plant closures, healthcare, etc. Stop me when I quit making financial sense....

Did you just call the Contour a brick? Have you seen one?

Does this some with special TOYOPET CROWN CROWN CUSTOM CROWN badging?

Another problem Chrysler had is this volume thing. Why is Chrysler such a volume division? Why is it home to the cheapest car in the whole group (PT Cruiser)? Why is the base 300 such a pile of crap that costs MORE than a BETTER-EQUIPPED Charger? Why does the 'new' Sebring offer uncompetitive, junk powertrains in two of its three trims? Why is the only tangible difference between a Dodge and a Chrysler simply the wrapping?

If GM buys anything, it should buy the minivan factory and tooling and the Jeep nameplate and be done with it. Sorry to all the MOPAR fans, but the rest of Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep is completely expendable, both to GM and to most of the automotive community. Anyway, this was bound to happen. Chrysler has been riding this rollercoaster since the 1970s, up every five years, down for the next, so on and so on.

You really want unbridled population growth in the third world? It sounds cruel, but the Earth cannot sustain more than a certain of people while remaining healthy as an ecosystem. Some things in nature (fire, flood, famine, disease) are earth's own checks-and-balances system.

Is snow that stuff that looks like sand, but its cold?

I'll amend the rules to go both ways. This is a half-silly contest anyway, so the more variety the better.

Any late-90s W-body is a good choice. Try to avoid a supercharged one for maintenance issues. These are not unreliable cars unto themselves, but for that price, you're probably looking at higher mileage without knowing a real maintenance history regarding the superchargers. Did you know you check and sometimes change the supercharger oil? How many GTP/GS owners do? I'd recommend an Intrigue or Regal LS. Aleros are good buys as are Grand Ams. Cobalts is also a good choice. Auroras can be scattershot for that price, especially depending on overall mileage and how much maintenance the previous owner(s) have done. Again, not a fault of the car itself (which is very reliable), but the owners' neglect. If you go that route, look for a '98 or '99 and ensure the fuel rail recall (nylon tubes to stainless steel) was completed. Another thought is simply a good GM Certified 2002-06 vehicle. Remember, these carry the 10yr/100k warranty.

Is there...is there a reserve?

True, but then again you could use that to claim the Avalon is a copy of a Buick, etc. I was mainly referring to that whole big flap about HUMMER 'copying' the Jeep grille a few years ago.

Damn you, Jim Dollinger...damn you all to hell.

Satty, I think he's trying to say he thinks the Toyota Tundra is superior to an American product.

Want to know what's even worse?

Sure, why not? I had that thought actually, Toni, but I wanted to get a reaction first.

Now, that's a Bold Move.

Oh my God. I heard of this on the news, too. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. If you need anything, let us know.