smk4565

XTS is priced where I thought it would be, contiues where the DTS was.

I think it is excellent. You take 212 inch long Crown Vics off the road getting 15 mpg, and replace with a 186 inch van with more interior space and perhaps 25 mpg. Less congestion, less pollution, less fuel consumption. And I like the interior with the TV screen in back and the low-annoyance horn.

More size, more powerful, more technology, more money. Yep, it's a Mercedes.

The Malibu Eco just finished 6th our of 6 in a family sedan comparison in Car and Driver. And that didn't include the 2013 Altima or Fusion. The Malibu is probably only the 8th best mid-size sedan and possibly 9th with a revised Subaru Legacy on the way too. So I would agree that the Malibu could easily be lost in the shuffle.

I think what I don't like most about it, is that isn't very original. As many have stated it looks like a lot of other cars. And maybe that is a safe way to go for the target market of the middle-America older buyer, but nothing really wows me about this car. I like the Taurus interior more and that it has an Ecoboost 4 and a V6, but other than that I guess the Taurus is pretty boring too. I am more impressed with the Altima, 38 mpg beats the Malibu Eco and I like the Altima interior more than the Impala interior. The Altima looks like a serious player in the midsize segment, the Impala to me just doesn't do enough to stand out.

I like the grille, and the front overall looks good, but the headlights are too small and plain, and does remind me of a Honda Crosstour or an Acura TL from 2004. I wish they did something more than with the headlights to make the car stand out. The back looks like a Jetta or Sonata sort of, nothing new there, it doesn't even have a Chevy feel to it. Not a fan of the sweepsphere thing from the back door over the rear wheels, but I guess they felt they needed something to stand out. Interior looks nice for the class, but a little busy, I don't like the dual cockpit thing and how you have light tan over the gaugues, then dark brown behind that then light brown. It is if they wanted to copy the Jaguar XJ interior, but couldn't execute it right. Engines make sense although 195 to 303 hp is a big gap with nothing in between. Overall a solid B.

I like this a lot, and I don't care much for the current car. 38 mpg is amazing for a non-hybrid regular mid size sedan, beating out the Sonata by 3 mpg. I like the interior too, it is simple and nicely laid out, has a bit of Infiniti feel with the wood trim. Some of these new interiors are so busy and chaotic, I like this and the Passat for being luxurious for the class, but easy to understand also.

LaCrosse is cheaper than the ES and MKZ though, plus it is larger. Which is good for the LaCrosse because the old people that have been scared off by the MKZ and ES, and want a larger, and more cost effective alternative can go for the Buick. The MKZ and ES are also priced right against a lot of rear drive luxury cars that aren't just a dressed up family sedan. And there in lies the problem, they can put the interior off a Rolls Royce into an MKZ or ES350 but the car will still drive like a Fusion or Camry. (and I've driven an 07 MKZ, it felt like a Ford in every way)

Looks like they are trying to scare away the old people. But if they do that, they won't have any customers left.

It is a pretty good price. A CR-V awd EX-L is about $29k and some other little utes go up that high too. Mid 30s for BMW brakes, BMW steering, BMW suspension, BMW handling, BMW engine and a ZF transmission is pretty good. This will sell to girls that buy small SUVs, they buy junk like the Nissan Rouge and Rav4 in mass quantity, they will buy this too.

Looks sort of like a Kia. Better engine choices is good, it does look unique and will stand out unlike the 07-2012 MKZ that is sort of boring looking. However it might be too radical. Problem is, it is still a front wheel drive Fusion against rear drive imports and a rear drive CTS.

Yet it is stil faster 0-60 than a 3.6 DI CTS. Everyone in that class has a four cylinder, the ATS has two of them.

Mercedes is getting too many 3 letter names. I like the idea of a smaller cheaper CLS, but not a front drive one. If this was more a C-class variant rather than an A-class variant it would be interesting. Although if they price it against the Passat CC, Regal and TSX, those cars could be in big trouble. I don't like a front drive Mercedes (the A/B class I don't mind because that is more a city car and perhaps necesarry evil to meet fuel economy requirements.) But to me this is like the front drive SRX, I don't like it, but this car will sell.

It's still a Fusion underneath that roof.

The BMW 3-series has had a straight six forver, and for 30 years every auto magazie or website has claimed it the best sport sedan there is. Even Cadillac and Lexus say the 3-series is the best sport sedan and that it is what they have targeted with the ATS and IS350. I don't think anyone is claimining a straight six to be past it's prime, if it was, the 3-series wouldn't be the gold standard that everyone is chasing. BMW sells over 1 million cars a year and the straight six whether it be gas or diesel is the bread and butter of their line up. Furthermore, the 335i will still have a straight six, the 535i will also. Why make a V6 for just the M3 when the rest of the line has inline, and the inline is better. They are setting themselves up for the 335i to have a better engine than the M3.

I don't think the Suburban/Tahoe will die off totally, but the numbers will drop. The Expedition has faded away, I can see that being gone in 10 years, does Toyota even make the Sequioa anymore? These huge trucks will become a thing of the past, similar to how the Town Car and Crown Victoria's time had come to an end. I do think that the Tahoe/Suburban will survive in a niche role for those that need towing or hauling ability of a truck. But the Navigators and Escalades of the world I can see being changed to a unibody crossover in the name of fuel economy.

Uh, no. The inline six is more balanced and smoother than a V6 or V8 for that matter. I've driven the non turbo straight six in a BMW, it is fantastic.

Chevy does need a small SUV, as they do sell, especially to female buyers. The Equinox is more of a mid-size, and the Traverse a full size. They will need that small SUV to round out the line up, especially in the future because the Suburban/Tahoe may survive, but I could see vehicles like that dying off in the 2020s.

Boring grille. I like the old one more. To me this reminds me a bit of the 2006-07 Malibu, and there is a bit of Honda feel to that front end. Very generic and boring.

They need a faster version of the BRZ, that 2 liter doesn't have much muscle.

A V6 M3 is a horrible idea. BMW's are better than everyone else partly because of the inline six. When the "what is the best engine in the world?" conversation starts, the BMW inline six is always at the top of the list. This can't just be about packaging, the 3-series already has a striaght six with a turbo. Interesting that the new M3 will be 75-88 lbs less than the curent model, that is good news. But a V6 BMW isn't true to form.

The Scion and Subaru look alright on the outside, they have some sporty aggressiveness to them and if you like Asian styling I think you'd like either. The interiors of both are just miserable though. The Hyundai Accent has a better interior and it costs $10,000 less. This isn't a fast car either, it may handle well because it is light,but mid 7s 0-60 doesn't sound so fun.

The Sonata has to be a refresh, 2014 makes sense for an MCE. Probably a tweak of the front end, and perhaps an 8 or 9 speed transmission to max out fuel economy. A new Genesis already seems surprising because the car isn't that old. But considering they went from nothing toa pretty good RWD sedan, I look forward to what they do in generation 2.

I believe the X1, like the X3, is based on a 3-series platform. So if they continue that trend, it will obviously stay RWD. One thing about the X1 is it has 328i power without much more weight, so it should be pretty quick and good at handling. Although the type of people that would buy an X1 probably don't know what good handling is. But it does give the CR-V and Mini whatever buyers a place to trade up to.

They have been advertising the Volt a lot, especially during NCAA tournament. Seems like a lot of money to spend on a car that doesn't sell. And I know you need to advertise to sell a product, but I feel like GM keeps pumping money into the Volt trying to save it, when they could be advertising products that people actually buy.