Robert Hall

Right...I think the 'pollute less' aspect is actually the more important value of hybrid technology than simply better mileage.

That I find hard to believe... do you have data to back up that claim?

True, but what in the heck is a 'Chrysler Diplomat Touring'? I know there is a 300 wagon called the Touring in Europe, but 'Diplomat'? The last Diplomat I remember is the bland '80s cop car from Dodge...

It's about the same size as the GC or Explorer but taller...it gives Jeep a midsize SUV with a 3rd row seats...

What is a 'Diplomat Touring'?

True, the Sequia is a biggie, but GM has bigger ones and they build a lot more of them...

Toyota's trying to save the world.. :) Give peace a chance! Drive a Prius! Shop at Whole Foods! Wear Birkenstocks! Eat more tofu! :)

Yeah, just like the new GC...I've sat in a couple of '05 GCs and was really dissapointed with the dash materials and design...my '00 GC has a much nicer dash in terms of design and layout and the materials (nice squishy plastic)..

It's considerably smaller than the Tahoe..more Explorer-sized. Same wheelbase (109 inches) as the GC, but taller. The 3rd row is very cramped from what I've read. Overall length is about the same as the GC (188.5 inches). They probably should have stretched the wheelbase a few inches for more 3rd row legroom. but I'm glad they didn't make it as big as the bloated, ugly Durango.

Exactly..that's why I went to college and grad school---I knew that to get the 6-figure income by age 30 (which I did) I would have to apply myself and go into something with potential...

If they have granite surfaces, it should be done like countertops--on top of the dash, console, etc (on horizontal surfaces). Also, hardwood flooring would be a nice touch as well. Maybe some track lighting and a small, tasteful chandelier or two also.

Ouch...a 50% pay cut would seriously suck... my rates have been all over the place in software development the last 8 yrs...I was getting about $30/hr when I got out of school in '97 then went up to $80/hr in '00 (right before the bubble burst in high tech--I was able to bill O/T also, no benefits--had to pay my own health insurance, etc).... now I'm happy to be getting $60/hr w/ benefits in a stable company...

Of all of those on that list, I'd probably pick the oldest--the Focus is the best all-around cheap small car, IMHO...

It's replacement is coming for '07, I believe (another Yaris/Vitz variation like the Echo was)...and they do have Scion for the cheap cars now..

If the Republicans stay in power, we will continue the downward spiral into oblivion, I'm afraid...

Big... pointy..

About 10 years ago, I went up to Flint a couple of times when I was living in Ann Arbor...pretty depressing place there (not unlike what I saw of Detroit). Quite a different world from the leafy, academic, thriving environment I lived in in A2.

What is that blue car, by the way?

I think I like the earlier PA grille with the small badge at the top rather than in the center of the grille. The PA would have been great with the Northstar.... One of things I like about the PA design is it is distinctly Buick, from the nose to the roofline to the tail...it held up well for 7 years, IMHO. While the Lucerne is a good looking car, I see nothing distinctly Buick about it...(the roof and tail look like more like the new Passat than any other Buick, IMHO). My favorite GM big cars of the last decade have been the Seville ('92-97, '98-04) and the original Aurora... I like the clean exterior of the Bonneville GXP also.. (I love that the new STS is RWD, but the '98-04 one looks so much better, IMHO).

I've never really cared for Targas or T-Tops..too much work to take the panels off and stow them. My Jeep has a moonroof (retractable glass panel) and my BMW has a metal retractable sunroof). I open them frequently when it's not too warm or cold out... I love convertibles also..

Good to hear they are selling well..this is a good time for a small, inexpensive, well-equipped wagon, I think...

I like your idea about the '61 Caddy, SixtyEight... a '61 Caddy or '61 Lincoln convertible would be a great road trip car, I think... (I don't really care for the '59 Caddy styling, but the '61...). I try and always rent convertibles when I'm in California...Mustangs or Thunderbirds several times in recent years. For road trips closer to home, I'm in my Grand Cherokee, M3 or my girfriend's 330Ci with the top down. I've never really spent anytime in the Northwest...I want to explore up there eventually, and I want to drive to Alaska and drive up to Prudhoe Bay. I need to take time in the next year to visit friends in Portland and Seattle. The south really has no big appeal to me (I lived in the Florida Keys as a kid), but I would like to explore the Appalachia of my ancestors--SE Kentucky, SW Virginia, NE Tennessee-- eventually... I miss the rolling hills (esp. this time of year) of my native Eastern Ohio, and the nearby hills in SW Pennsylvania....there are some absolutely incredible driver's roads there (miles and miles of deserted, twisty two-lanes over rolling hills, green valleys, etc). Though I wouldn't really want to live there again...not much opportunity in my line of work (though Pittsburgh is a neat city, IMHO).. the Midwest in general doesn't hold much attraction to me (haven't lived there since '97), but I do enjoy visiting old friends in Chicago, Ann Arbor, Cleveland and Columbus (all places I lived in my 20s). I've seen bits and pieces of the NE before, but I'd like to see more, esp. upstate NY and New Hampshire and Vermont. There are enough interesting places in Cali that I can go there every year on vacation for years to come.. I want to drive more in Europe--I've never been on the Autobahn in Germany, but I've driven on Italian Autostradas... I want to explore the roads in the Alps, France, and Scotland eventually... some of the most exciting roads I've driven were along the Meditteranean coast of Italy (even in a diesel Merc A-class or diesel Vectra!) and the roads north of Milan in the hills around the lakes...

PMs? I've had a couple wierd Project Managers before, but I think you are using a different meaning for this acryonym?

Hmmm...if Lexus is doing 8, then Cadillac should jump to 16 speeds... :)

This is kind of late considering the PA is no more, but I was behind one in traffic last night and observed what a nicely designed rear end they have...(it was a dark blue late model version with 'supercharged' badging). I don't see big Buicks around here very often, and following one in an SUV you get an interesting view down on the rear end...the way the rear fenders curve up and then down and inward..definitely a strong family resembalance to the last Riviera. The last PA was a great looking car, IMHO.