The O.C.

????? Every Camry I've driven has been whisper quiet......and does have a "traditional" Buick floaty and cushy ride (SE is quite a bit better).....probably something he took into account when getting a car to replace his soft Lucerne..... I actually think the Camry Hybrid makes alot more sense than the Prius Hybrid. It gets fuel economy (as-tested in C&D's road test) of 33mpg, and more importantly, goes from 0-60 in 7.7secs. So, it's fast, but you still get decent fuel-economy. For once, you are not penalized in performance or styling like you are in the Prius IMHO. I'd probably be more inclined to get the Malibu L4/6-speed.......but you won't get as good of overall fuel economy (24mpg overall, 8.7sec 0-60 in the C&D comparo with the 4-speed.) Give it a boost in mpg by 2....and drop the 0-60 by 0.2 for having the 6-speed.....so say 26mpg and 8.5sec 0-60. And, the Malibu won't be as soft and cushy as the Camry.....if that's what he was looking for.

Hey you CA boys......don't forget that the Inland Empire Auto Show started yesterday and runs through this Sunday out in Ontario in San Bernardino County...... http://www.ieautoshow.com/ The show is small enough not to expect any new intros, etc., but if you want a bit more touching, rubbing, and stroking of the current cars out there on the market, head out to The I.E.....! I'm going on Saturday.....will probably be there from noon through the afternoon.......

Well, I've never owned a condo.....it's been all townhouses for me (with the exception of a beach bungalow I owned in Long Beach for about 1.5 years.) I've been fortunate that my townhouses have always been end units, with only one shared wall, some sort of small yard and/or patio, and an attached garage (most with a driveway too.) It would be tough for me to do the highrise condo bit only because of my 2 small dogs. It's so nice to have the backyard for them to go out to when they need to do their duty, and also for them to just get to spend time outside.

Well when you consider that the car is Australian......and obviously the nav system works in Europe.....and that many European companies (BMW, Benz, Audi, etc.) can offer nav systems that work in the U.S....."incompatibility of map systems" seems like a lame excuse to me. Oh well...... (Edit: I used to be a non-believer....in fact, I specifically ordered my '06 Vette WITHOUT the nav system. But since having them in the BMWs and my current A4, I'm a total believer and, if given the chance, wouldn't have a car without it.....)

Aliso Viejo.....(not as "quaint" and cute of a website, but gives lotsa info.) NOTE....Corvette car show in AV on 5-10-08....!!!!!!!!!! http://www.cityofalisoviejo.com/

That's what I thought....so it's really not "small town" because most of the people that live there probably commute somewhere in the city of Charlotte.........it's like what we are having out here....pockets of "quaint" and "small town" inside a larger metro area. To me, a true "small town" (and NOT at all desirable to me) is a small town, say 10K people or less that's outside of realistic commuting distance to a larger metropolitan area or city. (Edit: Now places like you live, so close to a major city, IS desirable to me......you can have the quaintness, or small-town "feel" but with all the amenities of a major metropolitan area within very close reach.....)

Many suburbs too are now trying to mimic small-town "feel" in a 21st-century way. Used to be that the "common" suburbs were just subdivisions and strip malls. (Many of them still are.....where I grew up in Oklahoma and Texas they still are like that.) But now, many progressive bedroom communities/suburbs are trying to bring a community feel to the area like they never have before. Where I live in Aliso Viejo, it's a master-planned community of about 45,000 people that just became a city like 5 years ago, and probably didn't exist as little as 15 years ago. However, we've seen an infusion of non-chain restaurants and bars and shops in the area, a vast majority of them located in what is called the "Aliso Viejo Town Center." One MIGHT call the Town Center a glorified strip-mall, but what it really offers is a kind of 21st century "small town downtown" feel with a mixture of restaurants, bars, shops, theatres, a health center, a park (where there are summer concerts every Sunday afternoon) and other attractions. Now many suburbs have similar "strip-malls" but what is neat about ours is that it's EXTREMELY pedestrian-friendly.....and it's location is such that it's within easy walking distance of many of our developments here....and just a 5min drive or less for the rest of them. Combine that with the fact that our city includes 51% of it's area as parkland, many in the hills and mountains the city is built on, and you have ripe outdoor activity (hiking, biking, etc.) close by as well. I'm sure many of you are seeing this kind of development in and around your cities' suburbs as well. Living even in a city like mine, in a county of over 3 million, in a region of over 17 million will never replicate "small town" but it does bring alot more liveability to an area like mine. My mom and dad, who live in a suburb of Tampa, Florida, have commented many times that they have nothing in Florida like what we have here. Many/most of the suburban areas by them are text-book "strip-malls, fast-food, and car-dealerships" and even though there are many nice housing developments, there really is no character at all. My mom wishes she could "transplant" Aliso Viejo to Florida.....LOL.

I'm confused.....what's the actual name of the city/town you live in? And how far/close is it to Charlotte?

I had a FWD Enclave for a day.....put over 200 miles on it, and the trip computer said I averaged 14mpg in mixed driving........that sucks.....but then again I don't expect any better from a 5,000 lb SUV with 275hp.....so I don't really bitch about it.....

Okay I know it's been mentioned a few times.....that the G8 doesn't offer a navigation system, but seems to have the screen to support one. Has anyone figured out WHY Pontiac doesn't offer the navigation system in this car? It seems like the natural product to offer one in. I was reading my latest AutoCar, and they just took delivery of a long-term Holden VXR8......and guess what? It's equipped with a nav system! Therefore the car must be engineered for one already.....why the lack of one on the American G8.....??????

GOD....we are talking about a $30K "premium" Buick sedan......!

That's a nice red.......and that black interior, withOUT the fake-wood looks MUCH better than the ones with the woodgrain. In fact, it goes some way in masking the poorer details of the car's interior...... Nice choice on the 3.6L too!

Everyone is forgetting the spy photo of the Invicta on the truck (in another thread on here?).....and the watered-down production greenhouse and door sides basically look like an AURA with an Invicta front end slapped on...... I don't think this concept is close to production....with the exception of the very front and rear ends.......the profile/greenhouse all looks way too concept-like compared to the mules we've seen in multiple shots.... Not trying to be the grinch that stole christmas....but I think this concept is promising way more than what we are gonna see in production.....

Possibly agreed.......then the age-old question arises.....why do we have both divisions?

If the two divisions were properly branded and positioned, then it wouldn't be a problem. Remember at one time, Lutz suggested that Cadillac should move upwards to take on BMW and Benz.......leaving Buick to tackle Lexus, Acura, and the other, let's call them "B" tier luxury makers......

No....it WILL BE an ES competitor..... The problem is.....will the buying public CONSIDER it as an ES competitor? That's the million-dollar question......

Well, I don't think most people see SAABs as dedicated "performance" models and they sell quite a few (for SAAB numbers) 4cyl turbos......and the A4 2.0T is the best-selling model in all of Audi's lineup.... Granted....a Buick is a completely different vehicle than a SAAB or Audi......so I don't know if a 4cyl would work actually......

I would have rather seen this car, as it is, a RWD version of Sigma! Did anyone consider that? I think a CTS-sized RWD Buick, with Buick styling and luxury (compared to the sportier CTS) would have been a winner......

I'm not defending SMK, but he does have a point in the fact that Buick continues to dumb down the driving experience of each of it's cars (Enclave seemingly not, however)......the current LaCrosse and Lucerne are both two of the floatiest, most un-coordinated rides out there. In my experience, both CSX models, however, had just about a perfect ride-and-handling compromise for a Buick. Problem is, that tuning needs to be standard on the base CXs and up.....but Buick never does that. They are going to have to make MAJOR strides in the chassis tuning of this vehicle to make it anywhere competitive......and I truly hope they do......(that doesn't mean they have to be sport-sedan harsh, just have superior body control and chassis control.) And.....Buick/GM has known for DECADES that they have to "change their image for being cars for grandparents" yet we still get the same old Buick......Enclave is a thankful first step....and I PRAY Invicta is the next one.....

Well I'm certainly not happy with a reduction in wheelbase and width relative to the (barely wide-enough) Malibu......???? (EDIT: got the dimensions backward between the two cars......LOL.....I was like "WTF?".......and I am GLAD that it's a bit wider.....) I just wanna see the production version.......I think we'll see some watering down of the styling of the greenhouse and body sides between the A and C pillars (still looks too concept-car-ish to me)......the front and rear-end details, OTOH, seem to be quite ready for production.......

Fact of the matter is......when you do this, you do it without a B-pillar (like a normal 4-door sedan has) and there is no way to argue that you lose significant structural integrity. Sure maybe the car would perform well in side-crash tests......but I'd harbor a guess it's extremely tough to get the car to drive, feel, and handle as solidly......hence OCNBLU's comments above about the creaking and rattling. There's a reason we've seen this design in, oh, say the Saturn....and the (low-production relatively speaking) RX-8.

Unfortunately, based upon looking at the camo'd cars, I fear a major watering down for the production model. I hope I'm wrong.....because if the production car were as slinkly as this concept, I'd argue it's a better effort, definitely, than the new Jag XF.......! And I LOVE that interior......hope that stays close to production as well.......

On the tilt, on my CTS, yes I "flip" it up every time I get in and out. But the Audi tilt in my A4, while you can't easily "flip" it up when you get in and out, is infinitely-adjustable....which is definitely nice. On the CTS, I'm constantly tilting it between one of two different positions....because one is just a tad to low and the other is just a tad too high. Not a deal breaker.....but definitely not as ergonomic. (Nor do I actually need to flip the wheel up in the Audi....I can get in and out with no problems.) On the A4, I can use the telescope to push the wheel back towards the dashboard.....because that's how I tend to like to drive....with a bit more "arms-out" driving position. When my seat in the CTS is properly adjusted relative to the pedals (I have to be close enough to engage the clutch to the floor) the steering wheel in my CTS feels like it's in the middle of my chest (relatively speaking.) A telescope function would easily alleviate this. Most power tilt/telescope systems I've tried lately are quite fast......and would still allow you to "flip" up the wheel before getting out....without moving too slowly. But power controls add cost....so I don't expect them on a Cobalt/Malibu, etc.

Here's to a fast recovery! BTW.....I'm in the middle of watching Nip/Tuck DVDs.......lol

The old GM-type tilt wheel is sorely lacking in positioning and available detents......and seems vastly inferior to me....not superior..... Many cars have power tilt/telescope.....and even the old GM telescope system (found on old Corvettes, Cadillacs, etc.) had a separate mechanism to telescope the wheel, while keeping a standard tilt function.....