The O.C.

Yup, yup. Take one specific example on one specific car.....Chevrolet Cobalt. Have you ever opened and shut the glovebox on a Cobalt? First of all, it's made of hard, hollow, and brittle plastic....and when you shut it, it makes a tinny "clang" sound. Do the same thing in one of it's competitors (Civic, etc., you name it) and you get a "thud" or "thunk." It's a minor small detail, yes. But a GREAT example to use. It's the small details that GM is turning a blind eye to.....or someone at GM certainly isn't sweating the details in any event.

No....not "as long as...." Marketing is important.....but it's all about the product first. What people are saying on here is that there is a concern that the new Malibu lacks the fit-and-finish and quality inside that even the old Accord exhibited..... Perhaps the very reason they decided NOT to continue the "showroom side-by-side" and "test-drive" comparisons. No one is debating design, or styling, or color-combinations necessarily (although I think the black-tie controls look decidedly cheesy in this application.) Have you ever sat in a current-generation Opel Vectra? I did two years' ago at the Frankfurt Auto Show......and that car's interior is head-and-shoulders in a higher class than the new Malibu (or AURA.) Not only in terms of materials quality, but in terms of fit-and-finish and switchgear quality....including integrated and uniquely designed stereo controls (as opposed to a parts-bin corporate radio like the black-tie.) It's like my previous post....WHY are we still waiting on a midsize sedan from GM that first of all matches the quality of the very cars GM builds and sells already overseas.....not to mention the current competition.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. That's why I get my ass beat in here so much......just recognizing reality in the marketplace. (In fact, this OLD Accord interior puts the new Malibu's in the trailer.....)

But it's executed to a VERY high level. Hard plastic doesn't have to be bad.....just make sure it's got nice graining, an expensive sheen, and make sure the fit-and-finish is there. GM-wise.....to me.....Impala and Cobalt are ways NOT to do hard plastic. The GMT-900s? VERY nicely done and executed. Accord is the same way.....it looks more expensive and you can't tell it's "hard" unless you touch it. That's the difference.....

Let's go back to automatic seatbelts then..... For me....I could care less about the ingorance of the other drivers....I'm just commenting on what I find useful in a vehicle or not. Regarding some of the other features people mentioned on here....I LOVE HID lamps....first of all, there is no arguing that they provide much greater and crisper lighting of the streets at night....plus, for me, it's a stylistic feature that I like on a car. Finally, many manufacturers are incorporating an "adaptive" function with the HIDs that allow the lights to swivel in turns. As far as navigations systems, I can take them or leave them. However, a few weeks driving an Audi A4 really made me appreciate the nav system from not only a mapping and directions standpoint, but from an informational standpoint (gas station locations, etc.) Plus, I figure if I'm going to have a nav system, I like having one that is designed for the car and is integrated into the dash.....I would never want to go buy an aftermarket system and "plug" it into my car.....that being said, it's not a deal-breaker for me to get a nav system. If money wasn't an issue, I'd probably order it in any new car I got.....versus NOT getting it....but if I was just picking a car off a lot, and the one I liked didn't happen to have nav, I wouldn't let the lack of nav keep me from driving home in that car that I wanted. Now.....features I don't like or I think are wasted? These new push-button start systems that still force you to insert a key fob into the dash.....then push a button. Seems like a waste of time and money in a feature. If it's like the system I had on the Corvette, where you just keep the key fob in your pocket, then I think that's handy on the other hand.....

So what if the dealer offers a huge cash-back incentive? That's not the same as a manufacturer's rebate.....

??????? Whatever does that have to do with my previous statement?

Read the entire article...... While the problems seemed isolated.....it did raise serious questions about the overall durability of the GMT-800 frame....especially for something built for rugged towing or hauling. The implication is....if something like improper transport procedures can cause this kind of fault....what will happen long-term as the vehicle is used for more rugged activities.... For what it's worth.... http://wardsautoworld.com/ar/auto_gm_truck_frames/index.html

.....and I believe, if I remember correctly, sludge problems occured in engines that were NOT properly maintained???? (raise again...)

Yes but too many times (not all times) those features they sink money into are dubious at best (one person's opinion....MINE....) Auto headlights? I'm not against them.....but I just don't find trouble in turning the lights on myself. Battery run-down? Good....but most cars have that now. Delayed locks? AAARRRRGGGHHH. Hate them. Always reprogram them to "off." I hate hitting the lock button....and nothing happens....then I stand there to wait to hear the "click" to reconfirm to myself that the car IS locked. Plus, why really have them when most people use the remote these days to lock the car? Automatic Volume? Hate that too. Let ME adjust the volume to levels that I desire. I hate jamming to a great song at freeway speeds and then everytime you slow down cause of traffic or whatnot, the volume drops. I know you can adjust the levels that it changes....but this is a useless feature to me....and I've seen alot of cars with it ironically.

We aren't talking about the people in CA or NY......we aren't debating the merits of living coastal versus midwestern......we aren't talking about values and morals. All we are simply talking about is the unescapable impact on the automotive market that the coasts impact. Something GM turns a (somewhat) blind eye to. If you take all of the emotion out of it.....and simply look at the facts.....the sheer population in these markets....and the sheer number of new cars sold in these markets (Southern California is the #1 largest auto market in the country.....the NY tri-state area is the #2 largest auto market in the country) and the sheer impact of the media exposure in these markets (they get reversed....NY tri-state area is the #1 largest media market, southern California is the #2 largest media market) and you have quite a serious impact. One simple fact is mind-boggling.....and I've stated it before. In the greater L.A/Orange County/Inland Empire region (not counting San Diego to the south) there are over 17,000,000 people. That's 17,000,000 potential consumers for new cars. That's over a million people more than the entire states of Michigan and Indiana combined...! And don't you think that a major market that has that kind of potential impact should be a major focus for all manufacturers? A friend of mine that works for Audi in L.A. said that in Germany, at Corporate headquarters, they have a conference room with huge whiteboards on the wall with all performance metrics listed for Audi USA.....one whiteboard for the Western Region, one whiteboard for the Central/SE Region, one whiteboard for the Eastern Region.....AND there's a fourth whiteboard up there....one JUST for Los Angeles....... Now THAT'S focus....

Honda's a juggernaut....especially when you consider they hardly do any fleet/rental units at all....! It will be an interesting fight...... I think Malibu, if anywhere, is gonna stick it to Ford and Chrysler. Ford has been short-sighted enough to not bring the Mondeo over here and Chrysler in my mind can't compete with the Sebring/Avenger.

The 3.6 is a fine engine.....but still doesn't fully match up to Camry's V6 from a NVH and smoothness standpoint. Saying the AURA's interior looks better in person than photos is unfortunately not saying much. But all that aside, the car SHOULD do very well.....I just don't see it "knocking" Camry from its perch. Accord is the one that could do that, if anyone.

I agree. I love the gauge cluster, and like the "dual-cowl" sweeping curves to the dash....but the center stack is cheap-looking with too many cutlines (which someone else mentioned on here) and the door panels are disgusting....three-spoke "sport" wheel also looks out of place somehow....maybe it's because we see it in too many different GM models..? Exterior IS really a looker though....except the rear taillights.

.....as serious as the GMT-800 frame problems of years past?

I could care LESS about auto headlights. A trip computer, however, is a must-have for me.....

<slurp....slurp> Geez this GM kool-aid really tastes great!

A comparably equipped Acadia (i.e....no navigation) is $40K.....a bit more expensive. However with Acadia, you certainly get a bigger vehicle with more room.....I don't think Highlander is that out of whack, price-wise then......

It's an awesome car. Problem is......simply.....Audi has put the vast majority of the marketing dollars on their bread-and-butter, the A4. Most of the time you can lease an A4 for less than an A3. It's a marketing issue....not a product issue......

My CTS is a 6-speed manual. No matter what gear I put it in, it STAYS THERE until I decide to shift. That is what I like about a traditional manual, and also what I like about an automatic's "manual shift" mode. Oh, I understand what Fly is trying to say.....but my point is....it's wasted effort. Everyone else on this heaven's green earth is giving their consumers a manual shift mode (either a side gate off the normal shift gate, or paddles, or whatever) that allows the consumer true manual control. GM's system doesn't offer this....and as a result, is still behind the times (compared to what most, if not all, competitors offer.)

The hell it's not.... It's a perfect entry into the segment. Look at size and pricing and it's VERY competitive...... Still.....my point is....where is GM?

I think it's (the interior) quite unique and one of Chrysler's best efforts. Have you seen the entire pic of the dash? The way it wraps entirely around the dash from driver to passenger side reminds me of a "squared off" oval. Very nifty-looking....and I like it much better than the Edge's interior.

Well, that's GM's big problem. They are way too late to the party....in any segment they compete in....! GM should have been the FIRST to bring out one of the mini triplets....WELL BEFORE Honda decided to bring the Fit in and Nissan decided to start building the Versa. GM should have led this segment....

I haven't seen the new one, so can't comment.....but I sure as hell wouldn't buy the current Pilot in place of a new Lambda...... That being said.....we all KNOW (or can most reasonably assume) the new Pilot, no matter HOW it looks, will be a sales success.....and that's a problem for GM.

Nick, bro....I think he was being sarcastic....LOL