The O.C.

Okay I don't own one so I can't offer real-world experience.....but I'm going to guess that H3's won't come CLOSE to 20mpg in any real-world driving. With such an underpowered vehicle, you are probably going to be using ALOT of throttle in normal driving....even if you are not "racing." This will KILL fuel economy. Most road tests don't show any sort of decent economy with H3 anyways..... A more powerful engine might actually IMPROVE fuel economy because the powertrain will be less stressed in "normal" driving.

More power? GREAT news. Unfortunately don't count on the I-6 OR a V8. Unless something has changed, a GM engineer told me one time that nothing bigger than theI-5 will fit the Colorado/Canyon/H3 architecture.....at least not without some expensive design modifications required for mainstream production/crash tests/etc. I would still bet on the I-5 turbo.....that's what the GM engineer admitted that they were currently working on.

In any event.....Cobalt may have a tacky interior, but overall it's a solid little product and is a good-looker (if not the most exciting.) It's a good car.....so the G5 coupe will be a good car. Let's just hope that Pontiac figures prominently in the next Major on this car (Cobalt/G5) and they are able to design in alot more differentiation in the Next Gen.

True...true....but at least the Fusion/Milan/Zephyr do have a BIT more differentiation in them....(not only grille, but headlights, bumpers, rear taillights, etc.) And the Zephyr has a unique interior (although Milan's is a carbon-copy.)

It all depends on where you are pulling your numbers from. If you are "just" pulling them from dealers' reported deliveries, you will not get the same number as what is actually registered (R.L. Polk.) We did this all the time at GM....in order to #1) get more "sales" on the books (according to dealer-reported sales) and #2) dealers did it sometimes to "win" contests. The bad part is that dealers are now stuck with a number of units that are "sold" but not registered. When those actual consumers take delivery.....days/weeks/months later, they will notice that the "in-service" date for their car was days/weeks/months back....taking crucial time off their warranty, etc. We had a problem with this stuff but dealers and/or GM has kept doing it. When you "dump" deliveries in the system, of course, they are not registered with DMV. Hence there comes your discrepancy. GM could be in a bad position here....let's hope it just blows over for them. GM is clearly referring to "dealer-reported" sales. Ford is referring to actual Polk registrations. Hence, Ford has a great argument about being #1 from ACTUAL owner-deliverd units......... I don't know GM did this....I'm just sharing what I've experienced over the years....this stuff happens....OFTEN....

....sure....as long as the "top" model isn't your volume model (for the "lesser" brand.) Introducing a GTP/GXP/Whatever-only Pontiac coupe would be (business) suicide.

Unfortunately, a Pontiac version has come WAY too late to do the kind of differentiating we see with the current midsize sedans. Yes, I know Canada has a version but clearly GM didn't figure in a serious volume level of Pontiacs to work that into the program initially when the Cobalt was designed.

Won't happen. Expect to see a pricing/equipment/model setup very similar to Torrent versus Equinox. The reality of the business is that is what Pontiac dealers will get. They might get an uplevel version (GTP? GXP?) but it will most certainly not be the volume model.

Dealers aren't screaming for a (relatively-speaking) low volume model like a Cobalt SS clone.....more than likely, the new Pontiac coupe will be a more-or-less base model with the 2.2. They might offer an uplevel version, but a $20K Pursuit obviously clashes with the bigger G6 2.4L.

OH damn sorry..... Thanks Fly..... LUCERNE CXL......well, I'd vote for a CXL NorthStar. I'd have to drive it first as AutoWeek just had a short drive and someone said it was a bit too wallowy for them. (CXL V8 chassis is a bit softer than CXS with MagnaRide.) Ulitmately, I'd go CXS because of 18-inchers, MR, bit tighter suspension, more attractive front fascia (with foglamps) etc., etc.

Coming from someone with 15 years in the sales & marketing business (11 at GM) I'll tell you what may have happened..... Chevrolet may have had their dealers dump RDRs or deliveries into the system to show a lead over Ford. (in other words, report new Chevys as sold over the system without actually delivering them to any retail or fleet customers.) The bad news here is that Chevy dealers won't actually get credit for those deliveries when they are honestly sold at a later date.... That's why numbers reported by dealers would have shown Chevy in the lead. The Polk data would show this.....as Polk only reports ACTUAL registrations. IF this was the case, Chevy and GM could be in some REAL trouble......reporting "false" deliveries.....and Ford could have actual rights to the #1 claim. Didn't we see this very same debate a few years ago in the race for #1 between Cadillac and Lincoln? I hate to see anyone pulling these tricks.....as I did it ALL the time (or was instructed to do it by mgmt) when I worked at GM......

Balthazar why are you making me BEAT THIS DEAD HORSE? We've all mostly agreed that GM has, for some reason, done a much more bang-up job engineering their pushrod V8 engines.....that includes the later-gen 5.3L AND the LS engines in the performance cars. Why they can't execute a pushrod V6 to the same high standards, I can't answer. In many cases, GM gives up little to import multi valve/cam V8s with their V8s.....but you can't say that about the V6 comparisons....

A Cobalt clone sickens me just like the Torrent. I wouldn't bet on any unique powertrains either (see Torrent.) It's sad.....because GM has shown that they CAN do badge engineering better than Ford.....as uncompetitive in many areas that the LaCrosse/Impala/Grand Prix are....at least you can honestly say they don't share one body panel or one interior panel/seat/dash/console. The 500 and Montego are near twins. Ditto the Fusion/Milan. Ditto the Crown Vic/Grand Marquis. Ditto the Escape/Mariner.

Uh....NO.... As we all saw in a rather large thread awhile back.....there is not universal LOVE for the old GM "smart stalk." I don't want to start another "smart stalk" tirade....but many people don't like having all those functions on only one stalk. ....and I wasn't particularly fond of Camry's dash-to-console design either. But even you have to admit the old Camry's design is a rarity in an import....most are way more seamless.

.....and the joke's on Benz. BMW just announced that the next-generation 7-series ('08?) returns to a floor-mounted shifter. All other BMWs (even 5-6 series with IDrive) have a floor-mounted shifter.

True....except when designing a car to accomodate both, you end up sacrificing a few things..... Like the design/fit of the dashboard center stack to the floor console.......(because you have to engineer the center stack to be self-standing a'la Lucerne/DTS.....compared to a seamless design from center stack down into a flowing console.....a'la almost any import....) ....and the ability for proper use (IMHO) of column stalks for wipers and cruise (on the right....with cruise like Toyota's at 3-4 o'clock)

Floor shifters ALL the way. I don't care what kind of car or truck it is. I used to get so pissed that Buick would offer a console and "buckets" (Park Avenue Ultra and I think recent LeSabre) but still leave the shifter up on the damn column!!!!!! In fact, I think GM is the only mfgr still offering a column shifter in its cars (except Grand Marq/Town Car/Crown Vic.) Heck even many of Ford's trucks are going to floor shifters. HECK you can even order a floor shifter in the Crown Vic and Grand Marquis....! One of the very few things I dislike about the new GMT-900s is the column shifter (ESPECIALLY on the Escalade.) For me, it's a total asthetic thing....as well as a "feel" thing. It feels more natural, sportier, more upscale for me to utilize a "floor" shifter versus a "column" shifter.

The ONLY LaCrosse I'd consider is the CXS. (3.6L HF V6, tighter suspension, 17-inch wheels/tires.

Dude get over it. Your rants are TIRING. When has the media EVER dissed on GM's pushrod V8 truck engines?

True....true.....but remember GM is only getting 240hp from their FWD application of the 3.6L HF.....

How can you EVEN justify or support your comment? C'mon....I KNOW what you are TRYING to say....but there's not any evidence out there to support that. You are ASSUMING that people buy a Grand Prix over a Camry because they are more "excited" about driving a Grand Prix? What makes you think people that buy (retail) Grand Prixs are any more passionate about cars than people buying Camrys? (outside of the usual GM/C&G/Pontiac fans such as yourself....) (I just read in Automobile Mag that there's a fan website for Siennas, for goodness sakes....) I'd say within reason most cars will have their representative "fanbase."

....interesting how Toyota can manage a 4Runner AND GX470 that share no exterior or interior body panels..... .....or a Highlander and RX330 that don't EITHER...... Just an interesting point......

Regardless of power or torque, Toyota's (Camry) V6 has been long known for its class-leading NVH and smoothness. AND it's power and torque figures, while not class-leading, were MORE than "competitive."

NO...it's not a "piece of $h!" but it could use some updating...... 275hp and 0-60 in 7.5secs (MT) is hardly noteworthy......many competitors' V6 engines are close to, or better, than the NorthStars power numbers.... It's still a pretty nice engine and pretty smooth.....but we are moving into the era of 360-380hp BMW and Benz V8s.....normally-aspirated. IN fact, the new Benz "small" 4.6L V8 (or is it 4.8L?) is even rated at 335hp.....

I believe the L4 has a 5-speed auto....and the V6 a 6-speed auto.... ??