Robert Hall

Yes.... Dodge hasn't had a traditional crew cab since the '72-93 generation trucks.... the '94-02 didn't have one, and the 4dr in the current line is really the club cab (extended cab) with forward opening rather than rear-opening doors like everyone else...

I saw some doctored spy photos in a British magazine (Autocar or Auto Express IIRC) about 6 months ago of a regular 3-series coupe..the taillights looked pretty much the same as the sedan, which is what I would expect...

GMC already has the Denali...same thing with better styling, IMHO. I don't care for the Escalade, but it has been a big success for Cadillac... I certainly wouldn't mess with that formula now. It brings in a different group of buyers than the Cadillac car models.

I think the time is right for premium compacts in the US...it will be interesting to see if the A3 does well and then the 1-series...

Australia, I assume...

Nice to see someone mention the '61 Cadillac...much cleaner, more beautiful design than the over-the-top '59, IMHO... the '60s were GM's high point from a styling and design perspective IMHO....so many beautiful cars--the 1st and 2nd generation Rivieras, the Toronado, the '67 Eldorado, the '63-67 Corvettes, the original Camaro and Firebird...the '65-66 B-bodies (Impala, Grand Prix, Bonneville, Wildcat, Starfire, etc)...

It may look strange, but the future isn't supposed to necessarily look familar.... in an era of $3+/gal gas in the US, this may be the right car at the right time...

Quite a few.... look at the UK, for example...considerably smaller market the US, but probably more makes sold there than the US....(Proton, Puegeot, Citroen, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Skoda, SEAT, TVR, Diahatsu, Ssangyong, to name a few)...

'tiny'??? They look huge...look at all the open space around the tires...

GM needs this in the US..offer it in FWD and AWD versions, aim it at the A4, TL, Maxima, S40... Keep the CTS to compete with the 3-series, C-class, G35 and IS.. Cadillac could then address the FWD, AWD, and RWD compact sport sedan market.

Yeah, the dogleg C-pillar look has caught on in the last few years...I don't know if it is partially automakers trying to emulate the BMW Hoffmeister kink, or simply a practical design trait to make rear seat ingress/egress easier by making the upper opening larger....

Yeah...it's laughable...I'm afraid a lot of people make dumb vehicle choices...who really needs an obese, 5000-6000lb SUV or truck as a daily driver? Very few people do, yet they keep buying them....

The Lucerne would have made a good LeSabre, I think...

I theory, yes...but I suspect a lot of people that lease these obsese beasts really can't afford them.....

The LaCrosse is probably getting a lot of the old-line Buick buyers (i.e. people trading in their Regals, Centurys, LeSabres). Vanilla sells....

R&T is probably my favorite US car mag overall...I've subscribed to it and C&D since 1977 (when I was 7!), Automobile is probably my second favorite, and then C&D... I've never really cared for Motor Trend.. Of the UK mags, my favorite is Car, then Top Gear, then Evo..

I wonder if those #s included fleet sales for each or real sales only..

Gas is $2.89 here today and will probably be at $3 by the weekend (Denver). I expect it will be above $3 and stay there for sometime..

I suspect the Yaris will be in the US as a Scion or the Echo replacement eventually...the old Yaris 3dr was sold in Canada as an Echo...

Pontiac cut the Aztek, Sunfire, Bonneville, and Montana (the old Montana carried over for '05 after the SV6 was added). Buick cut the Century, Park Avenue, and Le Sabre (the Regal was cut for '05). GMC cut the XUV and Safari. I forgot the Torrent and G6 coupe...

The RAV4 greenhouse reminds be of the Tribeca... the Yaris interior is so minimalist to be depressing...

Well, Buick didn't have a RWD V8 model at all for about 7 years... (last Roadmaster was '96). And isn't the Rainer AWD only (or is there a RWD version for the Sun Belt states?) Interesting... Pontiac cut 5 models for '06, Buick 3, and GMC 2... 10 models cut from PBG for '06 and only 2 added....

I got the new Car & Driver and Road & Track in the mail today..both have Solstice test drive articles.....the Solstice is on the cover of R&T and C&D has a Solstice vs. MX-5 article also..

Yeah, I love the driving-across-a-bridge photo...looks great in read (and I usually don't like red)...and the green...wow..

Yes...that is a big dissapointment..one of joys of sports car ownership is the weekend getaway with the GF/SO/wife... my girlfriend & I love taking late spring/summer/fall weekend getaways to the mountains (Aspen, Vail, Breckenridge, etc), and usually take my M3 or her 330Ci convertible...lots of fun driving up in the mountains with the top down...3-series have enough trunk space for a couples' soft luggage. If we go up in the mountains to do mountain biking, though, we take my Grand Cherokee or her Wrangler to haul the bikes.... Then again, GM built Corvettes for decades without useful trunk space, so maybe the lack of trunk space won't hurt sales much.. the 5-speed was dissapointing, though (why not a 6-speed manual?)