The O.C.

I had a somewhat-disappointing experience with a Cobalt LT Coupe rental car recently in Nashville......could this be indicative of what consumers are seeing out there...? It had 18K miles on it. The good points? The 2.2L Ecotec is powerful and very smooth. This two door, even in yellow, was VERY attractive and eye-appealing. The negatives? Well, I've already carped on the cheap interior trim and cheesy center-stack controls.....but there were NUMEROUS fit-and-finish gaffews such as the passenger-side inside (chrome) door handle that was stuck in the "open" position. The DOOR wasn't open...just the handle was cockeyed....also, the action of the driver's side door handle was chintzy, cheesy, and felt like it would fall off when you used it to open the door. Also, the silver trim around BOTH doors' power window switches was already worn off in many places (after just 18K miles.) This Cobalt had a sunroof that, even closed, creaked and groaned anytime you traversed bumps. There was a constant "rasp" from the exhaust even at mild throttle openings that became very annoying quickly....(is this Chevy trying to instill a "sporty 4cyl exhaust note?") The 4-speed auto dropped the powerful Ecotec into a chasm from 1st to 2nd....resulting in a sluggish feeling running through the gears....when actually this is quite a powerful little engine with a strong first-gear launch and decent top-gear highway performance. The worst? The suspension was downright clunky and unrefined over any bump larger than a "botts dot." When driving over freeway expansion joints, the structure clunked and jiggled sending rattles and jolts through the steering column and seat. This really did not bode well for what was supposed to be a quite-stout structure. I wouldn't have been AS critical of the Cobalt if not for the Focus rental I had the previous week in Atlanta. The Ford's 2.0L Duratec L4 was in no way comparable to the excellent Ecotec and was a sluggish drone in comparison. In every other way, however, this "older" Focus totally outshone the Cobalt with a much tigher-feeling structure and suspension, a slop-free (and electric-free) steering rack, and an interior that while built with materials NO better than the Chevy's, exhibited fit-and-finish that was far superior to Cobalt's.

....or an old 4-speed.....?

Sorry....I don't make calls like this very often at all.....but I don't believe your post and don't believe you spent ANY time in an Avalon. If you did, sounds like you are just bashing for the sake of bashing.... Most open-minded enthusiasts on here would disagree with your assessments. AND, I've found the Avalon's V6 nothing more than whisper quiet even at full-throttle compared to ANY GM V6 (even their HF's.)

I averaged 14-16mpg over a five-day vacation in Maui with a (old body style) Deville with the same 275hp V8 and 4-speed auto as the Lucerne. Sounds pretty accurate to me. (Yes, I'm a geek.....I top off my rental cars just to see what I average in MPG while I have them.....)

I think the article, while a bit over-written in some of it's criticisms, is SPOT ON. Any Lucerne, other than a fully-loaded CXS, is a throw-back to the old days at GM. I've always said that the full-boat CXS suspension should be the BASE suspension on the Lucerne. You can fit different tires to help modify the NVH and ride-quality differences..... The NorthStar IS underpowered (comparatively-speaking)......the 4-speed automatic is ancient.....the suspension is floaty and wallowy.....the interior quality is underwhelming...... I DO think their criticism of the seat heaters is bullcrap.....I, for one, LOVE seat heaters that ROAST your ass....and too-lukewarm seat heaters are a big pet-peeve of mine. Also, the lack of a redline on the tach is a crap criticism. While I do agree it's stupid to not have a redline, too many other manufacturers also do this (Ford being one of the biggest offenders.) I look at Lucerne THIS way.......I have $35K to spend......do I buy a CXL V8 like the one tested? OR do I buy a loaded 300C HEMI....? Is there REALLY any question at ALL.......? Take styling opinions out of the equation.....300C is ten-times the car the Lucerne is....any day of the week.

You will still have certain consumers that will want a V8....either for power or PERCEIVED power....and for refinement, ease of towing, or performance. Plus, a V8 Enclave would give Buick a step UP over competitiors such as RX and MDX.

Lord, Pontiac and Lutz just don't get it....! While I don't agree with Lutz' goal for Pontiac to be an "American BMW".......is THIS an example of what Bob thinks denotes an "American BMW?" SO out of touch this company is. For ME, a perfect G6 GXP would be to take the standard G6 coupe (which is a very classy looking car) and add a 18-or-19 inch wheel/tire package and maybe darkened-lense xenon lamps. That's IT. Enhance the suspension tuning and add the 270hp version of the 3.6L HF V6. Then, some minor interior mods like upgraded seating, and maybe some contrasting stitching on the leather seats, along with perhaps some (even fake) carbon fibor trim surrounding the (ugly) center stack, shifter, and door switch panels. You are left with a classy, aggressive, and probably great-driving G6 GXP.

I'm seriously underwhelmed.....as I have been of all ES models Lexus has produced. The interior just looks plain WIERD to me (albeit executed with top-notch materials, switchgear, and fit-and-finish.) As usual, I'd take a NEW Camry SE V6 loaded instead of ponying up the extra cash for the ES... I felt that way about the previous generation Camry and ES and I feel that way about the new generations...

LMFAO.....!

....also regarding the Compass and it's off-road (or lack thereof) capability..... In many markets around this country, Jeep sells upwards of 70-80% of their Liberty and Grand Cherokee models as RWD-only versions. For example, here in southern California, two-wheel-drive SUVs are more-often-than-not the RULE, not the exception. This includes Jeep as well as most other manufacturers of SUVs. The same can be said for just about any market south of the mason-dixon line......Texas, the southwest, the southeast, Florida, etc., etc. Compass' success will be dictated by numerous OTHER factors than just it's "trail-rated" capability.

My guess is it will be a HIT....styling or not....(I actually don't think the styling's bad...in fact, I like the greenhouse, sides, and rear end.) Did you see the intro price? Less than $16K MSRP WITH the bigger 2.4L engine as standard.....loaded 4X4 models start at around $21K. That's alot of "cute ute" for the money no matter WHO makes it and no matter WHAT it looks like....

I agree it's a huge improvememt, although it looks like a comparatively minor change.... AND how 'bout that Compass price? Regardless of what anyone thinks of the styling.....that's alot of "cute ute" for the money when you consider that includes the 2.4L engine and 5-speed manual tranny...

......and torque doesn't mean everything either...... That M3 revs so much quicker and slicker, it's into it's powerband just as fast as that low-rev torquer 3800.....which doesn't rev anywhere near as fast or as smooth... And, that flexible of an engine is EASY to keep in its powerband. We're not talking niche vehicles like the S2000..... That's why you have to look at the TOTAL package. Horsepower, torque, gearing, powerband, etc.

Show me something.....ANYTHING to suggest that an engine has higher repair OR maintenance bills just because it's a multi-valve/multi-cam engine.......

I've always said that.....(and gotten blasted all to hell on here for it...) In fact, I think that the midwest, specifically MI, OH, IN, are about the most UN-realistic automotive markets in the country. So many consumers' purchases are influenced by their relationship to the auto industry in one way or another.....and people there tend to be influenced alot less by national trends or society in general. Southern California (and other markets as mentioned previously) are not influenced by the relative strength or weakness of the auto industry. Buying trends here and around the country outside the midwest are influenced by many OTHER things..... I'd LOVE to see similar counts from other parts of the country. It really doesn't take all that long (maybe 30mins...?) once you get it down....

I was actually quite surprised that I didn't remember seeing a single CTS as that car is actually doing quite well in CA. The lack of Impalas, Malibus, G6s, Cobalts (other than that one coupe) and LaCrosses doesn't really surprise me......as most, if not all, of those cars I see on the road around here really ARE rental units (denoted by the bar-code in the driver-side rear window.) I did see a couple of new Mustangs though.....in fact, I remember one specifically being a GT.

I agree.....and in Seattle, Scottsdale, AZ., Atlanta, GA., the NYC area, the D.C. area, and even the big cities in Texas are growing more-and-more import dominated....

Southern California is only THE single largest automotive market in the country.......and with 35 million + people in the state, that's not only more people than in CANADA, but it's a significant portion of the U.S. population. You can't even remotely call it "disconnected" from ANY other facet of the nation.

Thanks, ocnblu, trinacriabob, and everyone else. The really $h!TY thing about the Pox is that, while at the beginning you have the chills and night sweats and fever, once the bumps actually break out, you are over the "feeling bad" portion. SO....you are confined to home.....can't hang out with friends....can't go out to dinner.....can't do ANYTHING, yet you FEEL A-Okay.....! THAT's what sucks.... It's one thing to be able to sleep in bed all day when you are down with the flu or somethin' else....throwing up, and crappin' juice....but when you feel really good, you can't go out and do anything. Well, at least I can drink WINE at home.....and watch DVDs.....and read all my old car rags....

Funny......funny....... At least I can say there are no "bumps" on my lips....or on my "boys" or on my "manhood..." Thank goodness.....

Nah..... It's just a bigger pain-in-the-ass as an adult because, as a kid, you don't have to worry about being away from work for 7-10 days....and as an adult, I think it's FAR easier to get bored at home....I've been DYING to get out....do to dinner....go shop for car rags....ANYTHING.... The doc did say there was a (small) chance of pneumonia......so if I start to cough or have trouble breathing, I'm supposed to go back in. However, knock-on-wood, I've felt quite good the entire time....with the exception of this NASTY-looking rash....

I've been SO lucky on the non-itchy front. They are starting to all scab over now (meaning I'm getting close to being done with it) and they are still not itching. They SAY that if you've had the Pox, you can't get them again. However, the doc DID tell me that if your first case of the Pox is a relatively mild case, with not too big of a rash, you might be able to catch it a second time. I'm hoping another two days and I'll be almost done.

A few months ago, I posted some results of a very un-scientific survey I performed myself on about 250 cars in an upscale shopping/dining/entertainment center here in The O.C. It opened my eyes as to the real-world demand for domestic (and specifically GM) cars in this market. Being bored, and recovering from Chicken Pox, I decided to run down to John Wayne/Orange County airport and do a new survey. I counted 413 vehicles in the A1 parking lot outside terminal one of John Wayne Airport. Since these are cars parked AT the airport, I'm assuming it's a relatively high-percentage of people that live locally. For those of you not from California, John Wayne Airport is a busy regional airport located in the Irvine/Newport Beach area, about 40 miles south down the coast from LAX airport. John Wayne is extremely popular with business travellers living here in The O.C. and offers numerous non-stop flights all across the country. Once again....domestic refers to the commonly-understood brands for GM, Ford, and Chrysler. Saab, Volvo, and Jaguar, for example, are included under my "European" heading and Mazda, Suzuki, etc, are included under the "Japanese" heading (even though they are all part or fully owned by GM and Ford.) Out of 413 cars, GM had a total of 63 units, or 15.3%. The majority of this was trucks, however. GM cars totalled only 19 units or 4.6% of the total. That's 19 GM cars out of over 400 vehicles....! What really shocked me is that out of the GM cars, there was one Lucerne and one Cobalt. That was it as far as GM's "newer" automobile brands. There were NO LaCrosses, Impalas, G6s, or even not a single C6 Corvette, Solstice, or GMT-900. Ford did marginally better with 66 units, or 16.0%. Once again, trucks ruled the show with only 21 Ford cars, or 5.1%. I noticed one Milan, and two 500s. Chrysler had 44 units total, or 10.7%. Out of the 18 Chrysler cars I counted, there were 5 LX vehicles (2 Chargers and 3 300 models.) Total Domestics - 41.9% Total Asian - 38.3% Total European - 19.8% Toyota had 65 units (52 Toyota, 1 Scion, 15 Lexus), or 15.7%. Honda had 47 units (38 Hondas, 9 Acuras), or 11.4% Combined Japanese luxury brands (15 Lexus, 11 Infiniti, 9 Acura) totalled 35 units or 8.5% There were 26 BMWs and 17 Mercedes-Benz models for a combined number of 43 or 10.4% Shocking to see more total BMWs (26) than GM cars (19), Ford cars (21) or Chrysler cars (18.) I wish I could forward this post to Lutz and Wagoner.......

What a hideous nose.......kidney-grille looks all out of proportion. Interior is even worse. At least the base G6 interior looks nicer with the chrome rings around the gauges and on the shifter instead of this red crap.... And yet ANOTHER variation of GM's pushrod V6 engine. Where's the Enclave's HF, 270hp 3.6L V6....? Did GM actually pay a bunch of people to think this thing up?

Not even in your WILDEST dreams. Aztek is a bastard all its own......Compass is FAR better....far more professionally executed....with a much more cohesive interior as well....