The O.C.

IMHO, the entire interior execution, MINUS the center stack, is superior to either Malibu OR AURA. The gauge cluster even looks nice and lacks the cheap plastic detailing found in the AURA around it's gauges. My only beef, like someone else said, are the ancient center stack controls and the very poor execution surrounding where the center stack meets up (or doesn't meet up) with the center console. Other than that, it's still not bad.

Uh...."east of Chicago" would put you squarely in Lake Michigan......

Good way to explain.....and I'm in Aliso Viejo, which would be best described as being adjacent to Laguna Beach (actually some of my mail comes through with "Laguna Beach" on it.) I'm 45 mins south of downtown Los Angeles, a bit over an hour south of West Hollywood/Beverly Hills/Santa Monica, and a bit over an hour north of downtown San Diego.

I guess it's gotten alot better recently economy-wise. When I was growing up there, OKC was really hurting from the energy crisis/downturn. It was a depressing place back then. Now, it seems to be booming alot more.....with lots of new activity in the downtown OKC area like the Bricktown area, the new stadium, etc. A little trivia many of you may not realize....... My mom (also born and raised in Oklahoma City) worked for the FAA before I was born in 1970. The FAA had a major facility at the Oklahoma City Will Rogers World Airport. AS some of you may know, DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) airport was built in north Texas, I think, in 1974. Well, when my mom was working for the FAA in the mid-60's, the focus was to build the new airport at Oklahoma City instead of Dallas/Fort Worth. (At the time, the DFW airport was one of the most significant new airport projects in the world....and up until recently, was also the largest airport in the world in terms of area.) This was significant because the FAA new that wherever this new airport was going to be built (OK? TX?) it would be one of the largest commercial and cargo hubs in the United States (as it is today.) Oklahoma City was in the lead to get the airport. I forget now why Fort Worth won the contract (DFW is technically within the city limits of Fort Worth) but can you IMAGINE what would the OKC economy be like today, over 30 years later, had this huge economic engine been located in Oklahoma City? It was a defining economic decision in the day.....

My dad was born and raised in FogeyField....! (LOL....that's what we called it....cause seemed to have lots of old people there.) His side of the family all still live there. It's a nice place......not too terribly exciting, but you do have SMSU there.....and it's cheap to live.....and you are really close to all the outdoor beauty of the Ozarks!

I know....I know.....but I'm the kind of guy that feels.....you cheat on me....we're done. There are no second chances.....there are no excuses......buh-bye....... Maybe I'll end up a lonely old man as a result, but if I can keep my morales in check and not cheat, there's gotta be someone else out there that can too......

Uh....I'd take the G5.....unless the dealer is willing to give you the missing wheel cover from the G6........

Yeah.....I didn't think I'd see so many.....but now, after the introduction of the optional (traditional) 6-speed manual, it seems like every one I've seen on dealer lots has had it. Seems not many people like the SMG (which I'm not surprised.) It's kinda like the situation with the Quattroporte......now that they have the ZF 6-speed automatic in it, demand has skyrocketed (relatively speaking.) I know they are not all as bad......but one time, I test drove a Z4 with the SMG and it was the most gawd-awful thing I've ever experienced. I can't believe techno-geeks are so dumb as to fall for this under-engineered piece of technology. Especially since the manual is SO satisfying in the BMW.....and the auto is one of the best in the business. I say take your pick between two excellent trannys and leave the SMG in the trash. (BTW.....had about a 50mile test drive of an F430 Spider about a year ago......and track-domination or not, even the Ferrari "F1" transmission was pure junk for normal driving on the street.....as far as I'm concerned.......that is, unless you are the "trophy wife" or over-aged "millionaire" that gets to drive it and can't manage a clutch.)

Remember......nowadays......"rev-happy" doesn't necessarily mean "no-torque-down-low" anymore.

It's kindof like if you were the geeky kid in high school (not that the U.S. is "geeky".....just using it as a metaphor....) If you don't want to get attacked by the school "bullies"......why pester them? Keep out of their way, and they most likely won't bother you. Keep to your studies, graduate with top grades, and make a wonderful life for yourself. The "bullies" will end up in their rightful place in life...... That's how I see the U.S. ("geeky" kid, successful in life) and the Terrorists/Middle East/Islamists ("bullies" that will never much amount to anything significant.)

Not to turn this thread more political than it is...... .....but I find it hilarious that one of Bush's mantras is......"There hasn't been an attack on American soil since 9/11....." Well.....uh......as best as I can remember.......there hasn't been an attack on American soil prior to that either.......!" (terrorist attack....Pearl Harbor was perhaps the last attack on American soil...?) But.....I can tell you this.......BECAUSE of what Bush has done......I feel more threatened than ever that there WILL be another attack on our soil (or at least a very serious attempt.)

You guys are but a drop in the bucket of this vast sea of Americana....... No one south of Indiana or Pennsylvania gives you guys a second thought...... (LOL.....j/k.......we love our friends.....)

All good points. I'm like you.....if it was a friend, why not tell me when he got home that "hey....I stopped by and saw a friend of mine that lives in Newport....and we had a great time...!" That's what I would have done. As far as his feelings for me, I know that he loves me truly.....as most of you know, that something that can't easily be faked. He shows it to me. That, I have no question. Does he have an alterior motive though? That's what I'm trying to figure out......what I'm wondering. BUT.....living together, as we are now.....he won't be able to hide any kind of alterior motive THAT long......something will come out..... Worst-case scenario, this was some sort of hookup....either random, or with someone he's known for awhile. BUT....I haven't succumbed to that assertion yet. I have no real or hard evidence of that. I'm letting it go.....and will just see how things progress in the next few weeks.

Hmmmm sounds like you are picking between specific units...... If we were talking new, I'd take the Cobalt.....because you can order it up loaded, but with a stick.....and the 2.2L Ecotec is pretty peppy with the 5-speed manual.....plus it's the best economy on the list......and I'm not a big fan of the G6 and GP's pushrod V6s......

Whereabouts? When I was there, I lived up in Montgomery County between Landsale and Doylestown.....right off route 309 and route 63 (was that it...?) Nice area, really nice area. But if I had to do it again, I'd live in Center City, or Manyunk.

Funny thing is.......Iraq was far better off under Saddam before we got involved. Remember.....those people are USED to that kind of living......for better, or for worse. It's all they know. Not every country in the world wants to be, or even knows how to be, democratic...... It's our mistake to think we should instill our way of life on parts of the country that are so inherently different than we are. We need to protect our own soil. And as far as protecting our own interests around the globe? We need to walk a VERY fine line with that.....but make sure we never cross it. I hate to be caulous.....but I could give a $h! what Saddam (or any other dictator like him) does/did to his own country or his people.....as long as it doesn't directly impact, or seem like it's going to impact.....ME. It's not my business.....it's not my issue.....but WAY more importantly, it's not my culture.....and I will most likely never understand their culture. There are other factions of the middle east we should have been way more cautious about. (Re....I said "cautious".....not that we should "invade".)

SoCal here.....Orange County (duh....my name...duh.....LOL) Been here for 9 1/2 years...... San Francisco for 2 years prior...... Philadelphia for 2 years prior to that...... Detroit for 2 years prior to that...... Flint for 5 years prior to that (GMI) Born in Oklahoma City and grew up there and in Dallas. Lived short times as a kid in St. Louis and New Jersey (outside of NYC.) I think alot of the volume we have from the midwest and east coast are due to the huge number of GM employees/plant employees/etc up in Michigan, the midwest, and the east coast.

That's perhaps the only complaint I really ever had about my '06 Corvette......was the engine still had that "lumbering" lack-of-willingness to rev that all pushrod engines seem to suffer from. AND my car was a 6-speed manual. Of course, there's tons of power and torque on tap.....but aside from the sheer grunt, (which, no question, was there in abundance)......the Corvette engine was never as pleasurable to drive, from a tactile standpoint, than most, if not all, DOHC V8s I've been in (even a Northstar.) With the Corvette, you never even had a chance to wind it up to redline......it just ran out of steam way too early. Get into a BMW V8 or something else, and you are almost bouncing off the rev-limiter when you run it through the gears. There's a certain, really distiguishable pleasure in that......that if one doesn't really have alot of experience with, they probably wouldn't understand. The LS2 engines, (all variants really) are great engines that produce incredible power and economy. It's not brand- or powertrain-snobbery, it's simply a tactile pleasure that's lacking in the GM pushrod V8s. Fortunately, they don't seem to suffer quite as much as GM's pushrod V6s did (or do.) That's perhaps the only reason I'm a bit overly-cautious about GM substituting the LS V8s for a modern DOHC V8 in Cadillacs of the future..........

......don't forget driving enjoyment. There are plenty of people that prefer stick-shifts not just for "control" but also for the enjoyment gained from driving them (even in "low-powered" economy cars.)

Thanks bud. We talked about it again today and he got really defensive (which makes me be even more suspicious.) However, I approached it calmly and basically just told him how I felt and that I just asked he be honest with me. He contends that he needs to "meet his own friends" and build a life (which he does......) and I'm fully supportive of that. Just don't keep "secrets" from me, no matter how inoffensive they really may be. So things are okay for now. Now he knows how I feel.......so we'll see what happens the next time such an occurrence happens (if it does.)

Like it was ever really stabilized in the first place....? Either before we got there or after.....?

I think robo-manuals were all the rage just a few years' ago......but I think the market is starting to indicate that, except in extreme circumstances (Ferrari, Lambo, etc.) most consumers do not like robo-manuals. Therefore, I think you'll see companies like BMW and Audi continue to develop and offer traditional three-pedal manual transmissions. I also think direct-shift gearboxes (VW's DSG for example) will gain in popularity........BMW and Porsche are both about to introduce their own. Ironically, I could see these DSG gearboxes replacing torque-converter slushboxes more-and-more (like it's beginning to do at VW and Audi) than to see them replace a traditional three-pedal stick. Is GM working on a direct-shift gearbox? I most certainly hope so..........don't want them falling behind THIS ball as well......you know they have a history of doing just that......

Ironically, I've seen quite a few M5s now with the (no-cost) optional 6-speed manual transmission. Looks like that's how alot of the dealers here in O.C. are ordering them.....at least the ones I've seen on the lots. I haven't seen enough M6s to get a feel for it though...... Irvine BMW seems to stock a fair number of sticks......(relatively speaking).....but the problem is, you might find 6 or 7 3-series in stock with manuals.....but when they have over 50-60 total 3-series, having only 6 or 7 of them doesn't give you a large color or option choice to choose from.......

Lordy......I'm not the one that made the generic comment about the 300......I was trying to make a point that the same generic comment could be made about Buick....(or someone else.) * Enclave SEEMS to be performing well.....you are right. However........ * I have no confindence in the new LaCrosse/Invicta....UNTIL I see the finished product.....I'm to see how it turns out before considering it a "success." * In my mind, there is no way a Lucerne should be pitted against a Toyota, Hyundai, or Kia. Buick is supposed to be a "premium" brand. Lucerne should be fighting the battle at a far-higher level than what it is today. Neither Toyota, nor Hyundai, nor Kia are considered a premium brand. Chrysler has acutally achieved some moderate success and praise in Europe with the 300. And I don't think anyone can argue that the 300 has garnered a level of respect in this country that Buick wishes they could enjoy. Lucerne is priced right on top of the 300.....(even less in some cases)...... Now....Chryslers big failing was not following up the 300 with an equally-as-successful Sebring, Sebring Convertible, or anything else......

That's the thing....he didn't tell me he was going over to a friend's house....or else I probably wouldn't have had an issue with it. It was getting late in the evening and we'd been couch potatos for a while that night and I could tell he was getting restless.....so he said he was going to run out and "get something to eat" and maybe take a "bit of a drive." I did think it was wierd for him to take a shower, put on cologne, and get "pretty-boy'd" up to just go out and get something to eat or take a drive. That tells me he knew he was going over there, but chose not to tell me....either because he was doing something he shouldn't have, or because maybe he THOUGHT I'd think he was doing something he shouldn't have. The one thing I told him over-and-over was......just be honest with me. If he'd had told me he wanted to run out and hang out with this friend, I would have had absolutely NO problem with it.....at all....... The fact that he didn't tell me either before he went out, or when he got back.....when I ASKED him what he ended up doing.....is the thing that's making me suspicious.....