Drew Dowdell

uh... no. The north west passage opened up this summer for the first time in recorded history. Yes, the Antarctic ice sheet is growing in height in the central region, but making just that one point is very misleading and quite dishonest.

Yes there is some overlap, but we're not talking A-body rebadging here.... The epsilons are actually a good example. The Malibu is the everyman car... your basic Camry LE. The G6 is the sportier model... a Camry SE. The Aura is the more upscale but not yet luxury model....Passat. The <next> Lacross is the luxury model... like an ES. The 9-3 is the "Euro-Flavor" model... like a Volvo or Audi. Now you can harp all day long on the deficiencies of these individual cars, however, each car has it's place. Simply slapping a different grill on and adding some ground effects the way Toyota does with the Camry isn't sufficient. I'm sure the SE model of the Camry would sell much better if it had a differently sculpted body and a more differentiated powertrain. Additionally, look at how each new Epsilon has been better than the previous. GM is clearly learning along the way. With how good the Malibu has turned out, I expect the LaCross to be a stunner. I think the Aura is next up for redesign after the Buick.

In fact it does have Arnold Palmer plates. He owns a dealer here.

If Technology$ = "untried" then Copy C:\Yolk1.egg C:\Basket1\; Copy C:\Yolk2.egg C:\Basket2\; Copy C:\Yolk3.egg C:\Basket3\; Else Move C:\*.egg C:\Basket1\; End if;

what cylinder bank angle were you thinking? I was thinking more along the lines of VW's VR4.... which I can't draw in ascii.

The 1992 Roadmaster didn't have the LT-1. The 1993 - 1996 Roadmaster wagon however did. Under 2008 EPA guidelines the Roadmaster gets 1mpg less combined than the RDX... however I know from personal experience, over multiple B-bodies, that 25-26mpg highway is normal with these cars. I'm not the only one, these cars are somewhat famous for their mileage. I highly doubt the EPA went out and retested a 1993 Roadmaster, so the estimates they post are estimates of their original estimate. ANYWAY...... Nobody other than me sees the irony of arguing over 1mpg combined between a brand new Honda 4-cylinder and a 16 year old GM pushrod V8 that has more power, only a 4-speed, and has to haul around 600 lbs more? Prior to the RDX, would you have though you'd be having a sustained argument defending a Honda 4-cylinder/5speed against an old GM V8/4-speed on fuel economy grounds and the best you can come up with is 1mpg combined? P.S. LT1 Roadmasters run between 6.5 and 6.9 seconds to 60 on a 4-speed. So my '96 Grandma wagon is 1/2 a second slower than your new Acura.... way to go Honda.

who says it's just one engine? but why would GM need BMW's diesels when they already have some pretty good ones of their own?

For 95% of drivers.... they're appliances. I've never tasted BMWaid.... what's it like?

Three questions: 1. What cars aren't driver focused? 2. Does RWD give the Charger premium status? 3. Are overlapping RWD models ok?

No pics tonight. I took my stupid pills today and left my keys at work so I couldn't get out to the Roadmaster until my BF came home. Only did some wire harness splicing and drilled the hole for the antenna.

again, I think there is something wrong with your CTS.... I'm not saying the RDX 4-cylinder isn't good... I'm saying that it is out performed buy a 16 year old GM pushrod V8 in both mileage and power....... one or the other then fine... but the fact that it loses both contests and is 16 years newer is unacceptable. I'll guess the LT1 wins on NHV as well simply due to the 4cylinder v. V8 comparison and the fact that the LT-1 is one of the smoother V8s out there.

You're defending a brand spanking new Honda 4cylinder that gets worse mileage with less power in a lighter package than a 16 year old GM pushrod V8 that is easily quieter and smoother..... and I'm being daft? Please.... what great advancement has Honda fielded here that is worth the money Acura is charging for the RDX? I'm not saying the RDX isn't good... I'm just saying that it is overpriced for what you're getting and the engine isn't all that and a bag of chips.

I'm thinking, Camino engine hooked up to a boring bit..... 30 seconds at 3,500 rpm.... done. but seriously.... if you're going to powervent it, you can still go up and out one floor up. if I recall, the second story is wood, yes? Sounds like you need to have a good old, Amish style, barn furnace raising courtesy of some C&G friends.

Ford should aspire to better names than Fiesta... something with more "edge". There should be a probe into which "maverick" authorized this and they should be SHOwn the door and escorted out, pronto! At least the car has nice contours.

not sure...but 28/34 is just 2-3 more mpg than the 25/32 the Vue Greenline is rated at now.... that is a lot less than 20% improvement.

All? If chimney height is a problem, get a pellet stove with an out the wall power vent. No chimney needed. Buy pellets in the summertime when they're $180 a pallet.

28/34 would be where the Vue ends up, I would expect Malibu to be better.

Dual mode is much more expensive and is not as "universal".

Autoblog link

How did they run?

GM, make mine an E85 2.8 litre V6 turbo VVT with DI and BAS-II..... k? thnx, bye. oh yeah, and you could soooo run a base Zeta sedan with one of these 4-cylinders.....

From the graphics I've seen but dunno if I can post, the Turbo 2.4 Hybrid that comes from this has more torque across the entire band than the 3.6VVT... but especially at the low end. Torque jumps nearly 100ft/lbs at 1,200rpm over the non-hybrid Turbo 2.4!!!

Test fitting the left front outter fender and finding out it doesn't fit. The core support appears to be bent slightly. We'll be hammering that out tomorrow. Right inner fender isn't on. We're test fitting the outer fender to see if we have the same problem on both sides. The right side doesn't fit perfectly... but it's just shim work. The inner fender is attached and all accessories are bolted down to it. The outer fender is fitted and lightly bolted down. We've marked the space where I need to drill out a hole for the radio antenna. Wagons have their antenna on the front right fender, sedans on the rear right. Though you can't see it because the shutter speed is too high. The LT-1 is actually running in this picture. She's been sitting for about 10 months without being started. She roared to life on the first turn of the key, the engine fan blowing out a huge cloud of dust. More tomorrow....

The RDX does produce 6 more ft/lbs, but takes the engine spinning at 4,500 rpm while the SRX hits it's peak at 2,800 rpm. My next car has a redline of about 5,000 rpm, has 70 more ft/lbs of torque, 20 more horsepower, gets the same city mpg, gets 4 more better on the highway, while weighing 600lbs more, seating 8, and having a 5,000lb. tow rating..... and it was designed in 1990. There is simply no replacement for displacement.

I might be new here, but what the hell is BAS-II?