smk4565

Proportions look better than the CTS. I really like the shape of it, this shows a lot of promise. The overhangs might be a little big, but that could just be all the camo and the angle of the photo. They are off to a good start, I hope they get the powertrains right.

They made an additional brand to sell what they already make. Pointless. Dodge already is just Chrysler clones, now Ram has Dodge clones. No lessons learned form Plymouth, Mercury, Pontiac, Olds, and Saturn I guess.

I've read and heard from a local tire dealer than the Continental DWS is the best all season tire. It was sold out though when I needed tires so I got the same Pirellis I had. I did have Michelin Pilot Sport tires before, they were great, but cost near $200 each, so I don't think they are really worth that when there are good tires for a lot less.

A Scion is a lame car, it's like buying a low end Toyota, minus the Toyota badge that at least gives the car resale value. Sort of like buying a Geo when the Chevy or Toyota model was the same, why buy the lesser badge. An HHR, used Mini, Fiesta, Honda Fit, even Honda Element are better options. Or Hyundai Veloster is coming.

Death of Saturn and Pontiac has helped out Buick and Chevy. For one, GM has been able to put new product into Chevy and Buick without spreading it around to 8 brands, and secondly not having those extra brands means people have to look at Buick and Chevy if they want a GM car.

So they took a great looking car, made it ugly and will charge you more for it. That's weak.

Holden's 2 liter diesel is 160 hp and 265 lb-ft, that is the engine. Put that in the Cruze, Malibu, Equinox, Terrain and GMC Granite or whatever the HHR replacement is. That's more torque than a V6 Malibu and likely pushing 40 mpg.

They should ready this engine for the Malibu, Equinox and Terrain as well. If gas hits $4.25 a gallon again this summer, it may be here to stay, and there are lessons to be learned from 2008. The Detroit 3 were able to recover partly because gas prices went back under $3 a gallon, but had gas prices stayed at $4.25 a gallon for the past 2 years, GMC and Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep probably would have been wiped out completely.

I actually forgot the Malibu has less than 182 hp, and just the Equinox/Terrain have the Direct Injection 2.4. GM should make every 2.4 with DI. The Acura TL or Lincolns are closer to what the Aurora was, but since the Aurora was a luxury car from a non-luxury brand I think the Genesis has some similarities. The Regal is the successor to the Regal/Intrigue of 10 years ago, or the Saturn Aura. It just costs too much or what you get in my opinion. I have not heard the Regal stereo, but I was never a Harmon Kardon fan, the one Saab uses is nothing special. Best stereo I ever heard is the Bowers and Wilkins in the new Jag XJ.

No. It isn't. The Aurora was bigger inside and out, more luxurious, and had a V8, not a 4-banger out of a base Malibu. I drive an Aurora 4.0, I would see the Regal as trading down. I don't think GM has a successor to the Aurora, the Lacrosse is similar in size, but taller and more of a comfort car. I see the successor to the Aurora as the Hyundai Genesis, similar size, price point, and V6 and V8 engines, just a different drivetrain.

I wouldn't buy a 4 cylinder econobox at any price. But at $40k, as you stated the Camaro SS is there, or the 3-series, C-class, G37, Genesis, MKX Hybrid, CTS, a Prius with $10k to spare, etc. A lot of good cars. I think for any of these Eco cars to really catch on, price has to come down a lot.

No I am not. Motor Trend tested a Regal turbo, 3,773 lbs, 59/41 weight distribution and a price of $35,380. 0-60 in 7.5 seconds, and it is 18/28 mpg.

True, but how great can the handling be on a 3750 lb front driver with 59% of the weight over the front axle. It may handle better than a Fusion or Camry, but it is no 3-series. It won't even handle like a Mustang or Camaro that cost less. So if you aren't getting a great handler, it isn't fast, it isn't as fuel efficient as an Accord or Sonata, it isn't as luxurious as a Lincoln or Lexus, what exactly are you paying $35k for?

Possibly, but a Camry V6 does 0-60 in 6.1 seconds and that isn't exciting. The Regal GS is adding 35 hp and lb-ft, that isn't going to get 1.2 seconds off the 0-60 time, and if it has AWD, that is adding weight. Plus the CXL 2.0 turbo is $35k, a GS could be nearing $40k. The Regal isn't necessarily bad, but it is priced at least $5,000 too high. And it is slow for a so called sport sedan.

Big question is, if you aren't a Sierra Club activist, would you buy a Volt over any other $35,000 car? The environmentalists will buy it (and the Leaf), but will regular people?

True on both counts. Diesel will give awesome fuel economy, but the fun-factor and personality aren't there. It is boring, but so are the Corolla and Civic and they sell. Although Corolla and Civic are nameplates that have been around for 40 years and are well known.

It is still true today. An LS460 is $65,000 and an S-class is 93,000. Lexus for the most part is a dressed up Toyota, with incredible reliability. But is a GS on par with an E-class? Is the GX470 (with 4Runner underpinnings) on par with a Merc GL550? Lexus may have as much sales volume as Mercedes (in the US) but most Lexus sales are $30-40,000 cars. Wow, Oldsmoboi and said the same thing, I didn't read his post til after I wrote mine.

Cadillac is priced too low to truly compete against the Germans, thus their interiors aren't as good, engineering isn't as good etc. You could argue the CTS is the best $40k car (comparing it to MKZ, ES350, TL, etc), but I don't think you can argue a CTS is better than an E-class. Plus the market will buy a Mercedes just because it is a Mercedes. You are buying image and status when you buy a Mercedes. No one is buying a Buick Regal for image or status, it isn't fast, it isn't super luxurious, I just don't get why this car is $35,000. It seems $6,000 over priced to me.

Less ugly, more bland, still a dressed up Accord. Unless they make that thing rear drive the a V-tec V8 revving to 8,000 rpm, there is nothing to see here. I must say the front wheel arch that breaks up the straight edge along side the car really bothers me. It is like the designer sneezed drawing the car and they just stuck with it.

NICE. Way better than the wimpy gas engine, and more efficient. Now GM is starting to get it. Although the Cruze seats are horrible.

The problem I see is what does the Regal have that makes it worth $35k? With the turbo it still has average speed, and I get that for a lot of people that is enough. But it is also a front drive car that isn't necessarily light weight, so you aren't getting BMW handling. The interior is fairly good, pretty well put together being German, but the seats are a bit hard (again being German). Sitting in the Regal feels like sitting in a better made Fusion or Malibu. It feels premium, but it doesn't feel as luxurious as a Lincoln MKZ or base Lexus or even a Volvo (and I don't find Volvos very luxurious). Then there is the badge, it's a Buick, it isn't exactly street cred on wheels. So why pay $35k for a Regal, when there is the Passat CC, TSX, MKZ, roomier/faster Maxima, roomier/faster, Sonata 2.0T, Optima 2.0T, A4, Lexus IS, a V6 Lacrosse, even Chrysler 300. Not to mention the slew of slightly used luxury cars that can be had for $35k. I just think unless you have a 3-point star on the hood, you need to have a value proposition to sell cars with how competitive it is, and I don't see the value equation with the Regal.

Gotta love the 80's style radio antenna. I sat in several Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler products at the auto show, even with the 2011 updates they are all still mostly worst in class interiors, and their products are over priced. They have a lot of gas guzzlers too, top to bottom it is the worst product line of any manufacturer.

Hard to get excited about a $35,000 front drive Buick that does 0-60 in 7.5 seconds.

Boring. The Elantra is the class leader. These other companies might as well just give up.

I actually think they could phase GMC out all together, that is why they make Chevy trucks. But if GMC is to stay, it makes sense that they lose a Lambda and make a premium midsize to go between the Equinox and Cadillac, then make a compact SUV since GM doesn't have one right now. What I don't like is Cadillac gets 2 front drive SUVs, sounds a lot like the MKX and MKT or the RDX and MDX. Front drive SUV based off a Chevy isn't exactly standard of the world, it reeks of Ford-Lincoln or Honda-Acura or Toyota-Lexus. And Lexus, Acura and Lincoln are brands in decline at the moment, and all three have low impact outside of the USA.