The O.C.

We got rid of our '05 S500 because of ALL the problems we had in 12K miles....most were smaller problems but incredibly niggling and annoying....and no place in a $91K car. No buy-back unfortuantely because we had numerous problems but never multiple reoccurances of the same problem.... On the flip side, the '05 X5 we had with 14K miles was perfect....no problems in the slightest. So we traded the Benz and the '05 X5 in and got an '06 X5 4.4i the same color and equipment as the '05. A partial list of the Benz's problems.......the battery experiencing a failed battery core....the power fold-in mirrors intermittenly not folding back out when we started the car....the nav screen sliding up (to put in CD) then not sliding back down into place.....the info system showing a bad rear turn signal, even though it was working fine.....WAY abnormal wear on the right rear tire (way abnormal compared to the other three tires) suggesting some sort of suspension misalignment or problem..... And that was only a partial list in 12K miles......

.....and I'm sorry guys..... At less than 20K miles, the car shouldn't have the issues my Cobalt had....abuse or no abuse. And I bet people have driven the car hard, but not damaged it or done anything overly abusive to it.....most people aren't that way. In any event, if I was a "normal" consumer that had that Cobalt as a rental, you can bet my sweet ass I'd write off GM because of the issues the car had.... Not good PR for Chevy....

Apples to apples my friend..... Hate to say it....but imports seem to bear the brunt of the abuse FAR better than most GM vehicles I get in..... I have the opportunity to drive Camry rentals, Avalon rentals, Ford rentals, DCX rentals, Sonata rentals, and yes GM rentals. The GM cars simply don't hold up as well from a fit-and-finish and quality standpoint. Overall reliability is probably top notch....but it's the details that let them down. The 14K mile Sonata V6 I had a month or two ago was tight and solid as a drum.....abuse or no abuse....

It's one of the main reasons I quit GM back in '99. I was young, single, and living by the beach in southern California when GM wanted to promote me and move me back to Detroit where I would most likely, according to them, spend the rest of my career. I lived in Michigan for 7 years so I know how depressing a place it is, and how much of an unpleasant place it is to live. No offense to any Michiganders that proudly call it home...it's just MHO from living a bunch of different places, including seven years in the Detroit and Flint areas. Detroit? Los Angeles? There really is no choice for me..... My company I work for now is based in Atlanta.....which is a great city.....and one that would be much nicer if I had to contemplate a transfer to my company's home office from California....compared to being shipped to Detroit if I still worked for one of the Big Three (or even VW/Audi.)

I'm taking a week off in late May for my birthday and I'm trying to figure out where to go.....any suggestions? I want somewhere tropical.....warm......that kinda stuff. A gay-popular place would be cool as well.... Carribean? Key West? Do any of you have any suggestions regarding either of those places or places I could go.....?

So true, so true, so true....... You know....I wonder what Funkypunk would think if one of his kids ended up being gay...? (re...."being" gay....not "choosing" gay.)

We can debate the STYLING of the FJ interior until our cheeks go red....... BUT, I've sat in a few FJs and the fit-and-finish and quality of the materials they use is first-class in graining and texture (even if it is all hard plastic.) H3 is a big improvement over the H2 as well...... Some people will like the more "utilitarian" look of the FJ and some will like the more "car-like" look of the H3....different strokes for different folks.....but the FJ interior is well-executed....if not particularly attractive.

Just an interesting thought..... Who's to say that gay people aren't an integral part of "darwinism" themselves? There's been more than one theory that homosexuals are one example of "population control" or some other sort of thing... I know it sounds crazy....but it could be somewhat of a "darwinism" explanation.... Also, the animal species have shown homosexual tendancies for as long as they have been studying this stuff....

.....and I live in Orange County (not West Hollywood....) There's tons of gay singles AND monogomous couples where I live.....and I'm very proud to say that, fortunately, acceptance of gay people by the straight people that live in coastal O.C. is by-and-large quite extensive....if not the majority.

There are tons of Christian churches that DO sanctify same-sex marriages for religious purposes.......and I'm not talking about some kind of "gay" church either.... It's getting the government to RECOGNIZE these marriages that are supported by those churches.....

And that is YOUR religious right to have. However, by denying US the right to marry, then the government and individuals with beliefs like yours are denying US our religious beliefs and freedoms. It should be up 100% to the churches. If I belong to a church that allows same-sex marriage, then the church can grant it. And government better recognize it. That doesn't change what YOUR church believes or what YOUR church sanctions or what YOUR beliefs entail..... (I still luv ya though....)

(I'd love to have a friendly debate with you....I could go on ALL night long......)

Oh, I understand FLY.....but they NEED to know the impact their choice of words can have. Maybe it doesn't impact you as strongly, but it impacts MANY of us that deal with this on a day to day basis... I think I was polite/nice in my last sentance of my post....trying not to give the wrong impression....

Having "blinders on" is an interesting thing. Once again.....being gay isn't any more of a "lifestyle" than being straight is a "lifestyle." You'd be AMAZED at how often "straight people" in everyday life, demand "focus" on THIER "lifestyle." I'm a gay man, professional, and masculine. Yet EVERYWHERE I go, I'm confronted with the "straight lifestyle." (if you will accept that play on words.) For example......straight couples holding hands and kissing in public (which is not generally accepted for me to do.) Or...how about my "straight" co-workers (who totally know about me being gay) trying to get me to go out to the titty-bars with them....just for fun, you know? Even though they know it's not "my thing..?" Or how about the old couple in the Buick LeSabre I was behind the other day that had a bumper sticker on their car that proudly stated that "Marriage = 'man stick figure' + 'female stick figure'? I'd say that's straight people "demanding focus on THEIR lifestyle." However, I don't let that stuff get to me, because I have way more important things to me in my life. BUT it happens....you guys, by nature, just don't see how it can affect US. AND, is a gay couple wishing to be legally married (something YOU CAN DO) "demanding focus on our 'lifestyle?'"

AMEN....! Patron Gold or Milagro Tequila...... Or a nice, red, Cab....

First of all, it is NO "choice"........anyone that thinks it is, has their head up their ass....or is really seriously undereducated... AND it's NOT a "lifestyle." Living at the beach in southern California is a "lifestyle." Living in an apartment in a city like Manhattan is a "lifestyle." Living in the Colorado mountains in a log-cabin is a "lifestyle." I appreciate your comments....but I just wanted to clarify a couple of FUNDAMENTAL things...

Well, I'm neutral on Wagoner because I don't even BEGIN to understand the full workings of a corporation like GM and can't make a legitimite judgement about Wagoner as a result..... However, I'm wondering if the fact he's a "53-year-old GM LIFER" is at all significant? GM is the ONLY career experience Wagoner has.....he's never worked for any other corporation. GM's "old-school" corporate management structure is the ONLY thing he knows.... How do ANY of us know how this simple fact MIGHT provide a serious cloud to his judgement or his ability to lead GM out of the doldrums...? Just a curious thought that came to me.....

Yesterday, I saw a black FJ at a construction site.....with a bunch of construction guys getting in-and-out of it. I must say it looked good....and looked totally in-place....

Well, I don't know about the actual acceleration numbers, but what I notice mostly is that in vehicles with 5-and-6 speed autos, the powertrain seems to be thrown right back into the powerband with each shift.....mostly noticeable from 1st to 2nd...and 2nd to 3rd. Compare that with most GM 4-speed autos (recent Cobalt and Monte Carlo 3.9L come to mind) that seem to drop you into a "chasm" on the 1st-to-2nd shift. Maybe it's more perception than reality....I don't know.....but I know that acceleration and passing power SEEMS much more responsive in a 5-or-6 speed automatic. It's one thing that's helped make 210hp Explorer V6s feel downright sprightly off-the-line even compared to TrailBlazer I-6s.....(based upon my experiences with rental SUVs...)

Uh......the Accord, Camry, and Lexus ES are "$h!boxes" compared to exactly WHAT GM products.....?

Yup.....had to re-read it myself. $16K for the 2.4L.....and 4X4s start at $17.5K. Compare that to entry-level prices for AWD RAV-4s, CR-Vs, even Sportage/Tucsons.

Get OVER yourself..... Gays are not an "over-sensitive minority..." There's a minority of gay people that are over-sensitive...... BIG difference.... And, for the record, I could care less about the Caliber commercial.....it's probably pretty funny (I haven't seen it, but heard about it.) And before you over-generalize about how "gays protray themselves" why don't you get out of your house and go meet some? It's the maybe 5-10% of the (gay) population that gets any sort of media attention....just like any other "group." (black people, hispanics, poor-driving asians, etc..)

We all know style is a completely subjective opinion. In my case, I like the Lucerne's exterior style 10-times better than the Azera's style.....but I still like the Azera and think that it breaks out of the typical "boring sedan" (read....Ford 500) mould quite nicely. I'd take an Azera over a Ford 500 any day of the week.....simply BECAUSE of it's styling....(not to mention its powertrain, etc.) And, Azera beats both 500 and Lucerne on interior style, ergonomics, fit-and-finish, and material quality easily. I think Azera's biggest challenge (even for me) is its "Hyundai" name.

What a ridiculous article. Guess I have to look at the source? The Flint Journal? Give me a break...... Hate to tell him, but on his first point highlighted above, some people DO still want a car that has performance aspirations. I'd argue that most people don't want a car based purely on MPG.....or we wouldn't still be selling so many trucks, SUVs, V8 passenger cars, and sporty vehicles. Secondly, GM has never done a better job differentiating it's platform mates (with a couple of exceptions.....ahem.....Equinox/Torrent.) Look at the LaCrosse, Impala, and Grand Prix. Those cars don't share any exterior panels or any interior treatments. Also, Lucerne and DTS exteriors are entirely different. Remember the days of the '86 Rivera/Toronado/Eldorado? How 'bout that generation's Electra/98/Deville? Remember the Lincoln commercials making fun of GM's trio of FWD "look-alike" luxury sedans? At least those days are (mostly) gone.