The O.C.

You are right.....OnStar DOES have way too much influence on product planning. It was that way back when I worked for Buick....and it seems to be that way now. I can GUARANTEE you one reason why Malibu doesn't offer Navigation yet is because of OnStar's (cheesy) turn-by-turn navigation. Someone at GM decides that they need to make lame-brained product decisions simply to "protect" OnStar's profitability..... I was at the Cadillac dealer yesterday driving a new CTS for the first time.....and even though the car I tested had the (excellent) Nav system, the sales person was trying to convince me that I should "save" the money on the CTS nav system and just rely on OnStar. I told him that was crazy and totally out-of-touch with the reality of someone that wants to buy a car like the new CTS. On my '07 CTS, I would have ordered the Nav system in a heartbeat......but it's (wierdly-so) not available with the top "Sport" package. However, I'll never pay for OnStar as a replacement.

I live in L.A.....and we trump you guys in traffic......(yeah I've been to and driven in NY for oh, maybe 15 times...) I drive a manual CTS every day in rush-hour traffic and it doesn't bother me in the least. IF you know HOW to drive a manual properly, you learn that you don't have to always be on the clutch and shifter in rush-hour traffic. 2nd or 3rd gear is just fine for me in just about all slow rush-hour traffic....unless you have to come to a complete stop. The car will lug down to a crawl in 2nd or 3rd without having to dip the clutch....and the engine gives you plenty of revs to keep up with traffic when it speeds up for a bit....also without having to dip the clutch and upshift.

Uh....how about driving pleasure? There are people out there (like me) that enjoy the interaction of a third pedal and rowing a shifter......even in day-to-day driving.

Uh....except....just HOW long are we still going to have to wait to see the production Camaro?

I agree....and about that Camry interior.....it's not perfect....the center stack spars have never lined up on any Camry I've been in....and the manual climate control knobs feel a bit wobbly and cheap. That being said, the overall EXECUTION (execution being the word) of the Camry's interior is what makes it just feel and look way more substantial and "premium" for the price-class compared to the Malibu interior. The materials used....how they are used...the integration of the (unique to the Camry) center stack controls, etc. Even if Malibu had nicer and plusher materials, and all the Camry had was hard plastic....the Camry would still come off as the more premium entry...because of the execution.

GREAT....just GREAT..... ONE of the positives of having your products in rental fleets is to get consumers that might never step into your showroom into the driver's seat when they happen to rent a new Malibu. NOW....they'll get into a new Malibu with an outdated pushrod V6 and will rate the car accordingly. They'll never get to experience that car with GM's world-class V6 engine unless they actually go to a Chevy showroom (which is unlikely unless they are truly "wowed" by the car....and I don't see that happening with that interior and that "fleet" engine.) PLUS....when the cars come out of the fleets and get sold back to dealers, Chevy lots all over this country will be showcasing this cheaply-trimmed Malibu with an outdated powertrain for "cut-rate" prices compared to new Malibus. Sadly, I see where this car is going to end up......as the Impala's new fleet-queen sister....

I agree....utter stupidity. I think the grey color looked good...but they should have plugged an up-level model into the show.....even if not leather, at least a car with a few more options (leather-wrapped instead of plastic steering wheel, sunroof, etc.) And, maybe the car, even in base trim, would have come off better with an ebony interior.....grey exterior with ebony interior would have looked sharp. I agree with everyone else on here that the cutlines in the center stack and the black-tie controls ruin the interior on this car. And also, those door panels are the cheapest looking door panels that I think are in the market....period... Other than that, the gauge cluster looks nice and the overall sweeping style of the dash looks nice. But the rest of it will tend to make alot of people (and many import-owners) scream "....typical GM...."

I drove an '03 V6/5speed for 51,000 miles and had not ONE problem, no matter how minor....with the sole exception of the clutch going out at 20K miles (and there was a service bulletin about the clutch problem too.) It was the most reliable, and tightest car (not a single squeak, rattle, or clunk even at 50K+ miles) I've ever had.

Well, after reflection, it is growing on me a bit. Inside looks better than in the sedan. However, the overall car is still dumpy and cheap looking to me compared to the competition.....

You've GOT to be kidding me.......hideous is all I have to say for the Aveo. I'd rather have an Accent or a Rio.....(not to mention a Fit or Yaris.) Can't wait till Ford brings the new Fiesta over here.......

You walked right into this one...... Equinox TrailBlazer Tahoe Suburban Torrent Envoy Yukon Suburban XL Acadia VUE OUTLOOK Enclave Escalade Escalade ESV H2 H3 Toyota....six models split amongst two divisions.... GM....sixteen models split amongst seven division.....

Plus the fact you didn't mention if you actually slotted the tranny into "sport" mode. That plus activating manual shift mode is what gives you control over shift points. Paddle shifts work in both modes. If you were in "normal" drive mode.....and used the paddle shifts.....it would operate as a normal automatic.....downshifting as you floor it, etc. So....did you activate "sport" mode in the tranny? You didn't mention that aspect.....

No....but many of us HAVE driven an AURA and HAVE sat inside an AURA and have seen the disappointing interior fit-and-finish inside the vehicle.....attributes the Malibu all shares....

.....hence the potential problem with the car.....focus groups.....

On that...... This is the second car in recent weeks (Accord being first) that shows GM still doesn't know how to design an interior (Malibu and AURA) in a mainstream product that has a quality look AND feel to it.....

THEN WHY EVEN HAVE THE F*CKING BUTTONS ON THE SHIFTER IN THE FIRST PLACE? (ESPECIALLY IN A POSITION WHERE MOST PEOPLE EXPECT TO HAVE THE SHIFT LEVER BUTTON? Ok....so it's not a "manumatic shifter." DUMB DECISION when most of GM's competition IS OFFERING THAT FEATURE....... Wasted money, time, and engineering. They would have been better just offering "D" and "L" like Ford is doing on the Edge.....(as much as I hate that.)

You totally don't get what I'm saying about the manual control. It will NOT hold the lower gear....it will grab a gear or two lower if you continue to need additional throttle or gas.....I don't like the hunting. I like being able to hold it in a lower gear (4th, 5th) and be able to use any amount of power without it hunting when I don't want it to. But I'm getting sick of going around-and-around on this issue. Telling me to "go drive my CTS" doesn't address the issue that, as superb as the new Enclave is, the transmission is poorly calibrated in "drive" and has a "manual" shift control that doesn't truly give the driver full-manual control. Nuff said.....you can spin it anyway you want....but doesn't change the fact about the vehicle and it's tranny.

I totally disagree on this one. While the new Malibu I expect to eclipse the current Sonata, the current Malibu isn't nearly as polished. I've had plenty of Malibus as rental cars (with the 3.5L pushrod V6) and had the chance to drive a V6 Sonata from Atlanta to Tampa and was very impressed with the performance and smoothness of the 3.3L V6....and the ride-and-handling, while not a sport sedan, was tight, quiet, and absorbing without being floaty. It was a great road car (with the exception of seats that didn't support as much as I would have liked over the multi-hour trip.)

I had no bitch with the ratios of the transmission.....just the totally unrefined feel of a downshift into first or second gear on aggressive acceleration.......not deeming it condusive to a luxury product.....

.....or look at it this way.....a 328i (230hp I6) goes 0-60 in 6.1sec with a manual.....not that far off from the 5.8sec of the 3.6L DI CTS (both from C&D.) The CTS is overweight for it's segment.....even a bunch heavier than a 5-series. I like the CTS......but it seems that GM is still struggling to find their place in the luxury segments. I took a long look at a CTS at my Caddy dealer today......and while I'm mostly impressed with the interior, there are some GLARING fit-and-finish faults that you simply don't find in the CTS's competitors. The "silver effect" trim on the center console is incredibly cheesy (especially when combined with the cupholder cover) and reminds me of the cheap crap that I had on the center stack of my Corvette. Why not a "textured" surface like on the BMW (aluminum trim) or G35 (wasabi what-ever paper trim) competitors? Plus, the instrument cluster was a "tack-on" item that wobbled and wiggled with the slightest tug from the driver's seat. Not exactly world-class quality. That being said, the rest of the interior was beautiful....especially the soft-touch, leather-like stitched trim on the dash, door panels, etc....and certainly, as C&D agreed, upstages the new C-Class. The ultimate finish of the interior, however, I feel, lacks the detail of current BMW and Audi interiors. I still feel the CTS will do really well. I just wish Cadillac in general was more in touch with the overall luxury market.....and had a FULL line of vehicles to compete with BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, and Audi.

Makes sense.....leaving Detroit. I'm surprised they didn't land in Atlanta......close to Porsche, lower cost-of-living than D.C. (even Detroit) and a quite-desirable place to live........

Nah....it was brand new with just 1,000 miles on it.

Awwwww.....thanks bud.... I was being facitious about flying.....if anyone loves a road trip, it's me. I still remember a few years' ago when my parents moved from Dallas to Tampa......I flew to TX and helped them drive their cars to Florida. Dad drove his '99 Corvette, Mom drove the Reatta coupe (now replaced by a 330ci Convertible) and I drove the '00 Regal GS. Surprisingly, all three cars were quite equal in mpg......the Corvette did surprisingly well. They still have the Corvette and Regal GS.......and they are trying to figure out what to replace the Regal with. They want a crossover....to have some utility. They are leaning towards an RX350. I'm trying to convince them into an Enclave.....but Mom's over Buicks....thinks the Enclave looks good....but wants "...a luxury SUV....not a Buick....." if that tells you anything. She just turned 65 and said "old people" drive Buicks and she doesn't want to feel old yet.....lol. I'm surprised....she LOVES her BMW convertible.....and it's got the sport package and 18-inch wheels. I thought she'd think it's too rough and harsh....but she doesn't....she loves it. Maybe if she won't do Enclave, I can get her to consider a modestly-equiped (cause they are expensive) BMW X5 3.0is.....the new model.....to replace the Regal.

I'd give the Sebring's interior the nod over the G6......but the exterior of the G6 is WAY better looking....... Fit-and-finish around the lowered top area of both cars I saw recently were really bad and cheesy..... But overall, I'd take a G6 (wish it didn't lose so much trunk space though....) But I guess ultimately, I'd take a soft-top Mustang over either.....