A Horse With No Name

Pontiac and Buick still look to be down a good bit for the year. Aveo sales are way up, and Cobalt is holding its own in a weak economy. IMHO GM can't bring better/refreshed new small cars fast enough. Overall not bad for a weak economy. Chris

As a Scion owner I find this Ironic. They sold 130,000 Scions after claiming that they were going to "Scale back" and only sell 150,000 a year. Too bad Toyota won't admit the new xB and the new xD are duds. Also too bad that many people are passing up the Malibu and Fusion for a Camry. Chris

Given everything else they do, nothing much suprises me from Chrysler... Chris

I agree 100 percent with the change in thinking thing. Also agree that living in a 40 story condo would suck ass in a major sort of way. However, a world where everyone commutes long distance in an SUV in un-sustainable. Methinks the answer is somewhere in the middle. But again we've got to start changing our behavior NOW so things don't come crshing down on our heads in the near future. How many people have leased fuel inefficient vehicles that will be really screwed in a major sort of way if gas goes to $4.75 per gallon? Chris

I haven't given up hope as Camino suggests, but I do believe the future of transport will be very, very different than what we think. RWD vehicles with big V8's will go the way of the dinosaur in the next ten-20 years. Bank on it. $200 per barrel plus for oil will be here. When it gets here the trade in Value of your Tahoe will be effectively Zero. We will have other sources of energy, but what we really need/will get are mass transit, a national rail system with decent national passenger service, small cars like the Honda Fit, the Smart Car, etc. This is coming no matter how hard the old school nay-sayers try to deny it. It's nuts that CAFE is not higher RIGHT NOW. We should have made it higher back when Carter was president. Chris

That CR-Z...I want one...now... Chris

Or perhaps even longer. With higher energy prices, good paying jobs going overseas, our national debt, a war in Iraq that won't go away, and our inability to elect anyone other than the worst to the presidency (yeah, that's you W) things may be bad for a long, long time. Chris

I see a permanant sales slide. Chris

Another late 70's Cadillac would do you nicely. Too bad you sold the yellow one... Chris

Can I have my Volt now, Mr. Lutz? Chris

Kia is perhaps the sleaziest car company of all time. Chris

I am there with you... Chris

Again, mindless whining about the HHR from some of the same sources...not mentioning anyone by name...but... Like you pointed out in our other thread the HHR is a budget priced vehicle. We'd all like 10 large in additional interior appointments so we could spend 17k on it and drive a mini BMW. But thqat just ain't gonna happen. Line up a 65 Ford Galaxy, a 65 Fury and a 65 GTO. Many of the same visual design cues exist (Quad stacked headlights canted forward, for one.) the HHR is in some ways more different from its competition than cars of the classical era. It damned sure isn't like the Mazda 3, Caliber, xB, or the Element. Not sure that I can say it is really all that copycat. Interior is in my honest opinion much more nicely laid out than the PT. Loading the rear is much more practical/space efficient, for one. It's late and I am rambling, but it is time to cut the whining and be glad we have this in the gm lineup. It's a nice addition. Chris

Our GMC Safari van was actually bought low milage used from the local Honda dealer (it was an Odysea trade in). I've stayed in touch with the salesman, see him around town once in awhile. He says he's never sold an Element to anyone UNDER 45. Interesting. There are lots of Scion owners over 50... But your right, who cares too much about the age of the owner. What counts is the vehicle, and C and D is much more balanced. I usually don't even read Edmonds. I find Road and Track and C and D to be somewhat useful. Besides, I still like the recognition the Bu, the CTS, and the C6 have gotten from C and D. I think that they were all ten best. Chris

Ditto on alternate fuels and transportation infrastructure... Chris

Believe it or not, the 18 and 20 year olds where I work just love the Lucerne and think its God's own original hot car. I believe that you are possibly an agnostic/atheist like I am, but I think you've found your true "missionary calling." Let's spread the Gospel of Buick...starting with that Ultra. My parents live in NC and you need to picture yourself driving that thing on a sunny May day on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Chris

But let's not rule out flex fuel yet. We have lots of vehicles on the road that can use this technology right now. I think people are getting a little down on biofuels (esp E85) because they have a few teething problems. Developing a Butenol distilling process would take time and adjustment. Also really like the idea of helping farmers every way we can. A world that includes self sustaining and profitable farms beats the hell out of a world filled with 9 billion subdivisions along with the ubiquitous strip malls with Wallmarts. Chris

...and really, if one wanted to buy an asian Utility type vehicle why not just buy a Mazda 3 wagon and be done with it? Much better handling and fuel economy than a cute ute, good looks, well built, well priced... Or just piss off the naysayers and buy a HHR. The HHR is much more user friendly in my honest opinion than any of the cute utes. Chris

...then buy one. Like we told Paolino in another thread, you might as well drive a car you love. Methinks the new Bu might just be worth your love...about 5 years worth at about $450 a month... Chris

Agreed...completely. The CRV is much nicer, but actually my choices for a small SUV would be Ford Escape first followed by the redesinged VUE. My son Joel, the loyal 100% not gonna buy it unless the blue oval is on it thinks the Vue is actually better than the Escape. My wife likes the CRV and loves the Element but has many of reg's complaints about the RAV4. Chris

Whih is why it is so nice to have the Lucerne in the GM fleet. Fits between the Malibu/Impala/Aura and the CTS. Everyone that looks at the Lucerne or owns one just seems to rave about it. It's almost enough to make me forget about small cars. Chris

Exactly. Which is the cool thing about the GM flexfuel vehicles. Lots of people around here are using flexfuel and it is working out pretty good. Around me it's about 70 cents a gallon cheaper than gas. In Brazil IIRC lots of flex fuel vehicles haven't seen gas in years. Also, Butenol (IIRC) can be distilled from plants and it is basically gasolene...so we could with the right tedchnology and infrastructure turn alagae into a gas substitute that would fire a 70 SS454 Chevelle without having to fund the Wahabbi's in Saudi. Chris

Glad you like the Impala. For twenty large that's a hell of a lot O' car. Chris

Yes I did. I think the greater danger is that what we are building is not sustainable in the long run. We can't grow enough of anything to fuel what we have indefinitely into the future. A good rail system, more fuel efficient vehicles and homes, better technology...we need a Manhatten Project level of funding and commitment RIGHT NOW because we are going to be SOL with the world petroleum situation in about 15 years, at which time it is just going to be too late. Not that we will go extinct, right away, but things could become very unpleasant. Also, what have you done to research climate change? I know very intelligent people on both sides of the issue. I also know some very conservative people politically who buy into climate change. I still am reading and learning. Just want you to keep an open mind. Chris

A really good book to read is "Collapse" by Jerrod Diamond. He is an evolutionary biologist from California and suggests that societies fail when they over run their natural resources. Personally, I am much more worried about India, with its much higher birthrate and the middle east, with its mindless puritanical religion. Chris