Robert Hall

Does GM even offer a front bench in any of their SUVs?? I've never seen one equipped with one. I suspect the reason the dash and console aren't integrated is that the same dash structure will probably be used on the pickups (I can imagine base models of the Silverado having a bench)...

'Car' magazine lists the Astra 1.3cdi at 58 MPG.... (in their comprehensive new car listing at the back of the magazine). I'm not sure if those are US gallons, though, or Imperial gallons. Odd that it would be in Km/Litre on the website.. I'd expect that in Continental Europe for an Opel but in not the UK (they use miles)...

Forget the DB7..it had a lot of Jaguar XJ-S parts underneath...the DB9 and V8 Vantage are totally different cars..

Beautiful car...love the interior design and the exterior... AMs are pretty scarce...I see Ferraris periodically, but never Astons...

That is hideous... I truly do not comprehend the custom car mentality, though.

I've always liked them also..they are crude and unrefined on-road, but fantastic off-road...my girlfriend has an '02...it's a lot of fun to go up in the mountains in the summer with top and doors off, bumping over mountain passes on rocky roads. We try and go up to the mountains with hers at least once a month. I wouldn't trade my Grand Cherokee for one as far as a daily driver, but I like the real SUV qualities of the Wrangler...it's the genuine article without the poseur image of the Hummer..

Look good...and they put the gauges where they belong!

Yes, but GM still built the Astro up until this year...that speaks volumes. A 2005 vehicle that performs that poorly in a crash test is unacceptable, regardless of the manufacturer...

Yeah, the placement on the Solstice seems odd to me...low on the doors...or the Corvette (low in front of the rear wheel).

Best---girlfriend's dad's '86 Caprice Estate wagon (very roomy) in high school... Worst-- Mustang GT in college...the console, parking brake, and shifter all get in the way.. I'll admit, though, I haven't done it a car in many years....my g/f and I prefer getting busy at home or in a hotel... \ \.

They are there so when you get close you can see that they are a GM <tm> product and not a Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, Honda, etc.. :)

The greenhouse definitely looks old Isuzu..

Yes, GM has built plenty of unsafe shitboxes as well....

The way the passenger compartment collapsed reminds me of the crash test photos I've seen of the Blazers and previous GM minivans (Venture, TransPort, etc)... \

I'm a past GM owner, past and present Ford owner, and current Jeep and BMW owner. I will likely be a future GM owner and BMW owner... maybe a Benz or Porsche also. I'm a car enthusiast in general--I like a lot of different types of cars, and also am a fan of car history and culture, along with building model cars and diecast car collecting...

The styling reminds me of a mash-up between a Rodeo, previous-generation Explorer, and a mid-90s Blazer...

Sounds plausable...a stretched EII platform could make sense as a replacement for the W-body platform..

The 6-speed w/ a diesel would have been a great option..best gas mileage and torque, I bet..

It definitely resembles the DTS, Lucerne, and the Impala...the best thing about the dash is it is very car-like and not truckish (since these trucks are predominantly used as cars---they are the full-size station wagons of today). I do hope the Escalade gets more than a different guage cluster and wood trim--it deserves its own unique dash design.

Wow...over 5500lbs for the 4WD version...they could have gotten more mileage if they could find a way to take out more weight (more aluminum?).

Thanks..that worked...I like the dash, very car-like...reminds me of the new Impala interior.

Interesting...I see no photos in Nortstar's post...just a bunch of lines that say 'user posted image'.

WHAT INTERIOR SHOTS??? Where are you guys seeing interior photos? I can't find any posted in this thread (only the exterior photos in FoG's post).

Where are the interior pics? There is a 'Photography' link at the GM media site but it's password protected.

Hmmm..bigger on the outside, smaller on the inside! That's been a GM tradition for decades... :)