Drew Dowdell

Oil prices give Toyota a dash to the top because they invested a huge amount of money into a truck plant that turns out defective trucks.... what? edit: while letting the Corolla wither on the vine. For those of you playing at home, the current Corolla will be in it's 6th model year before it's replaced in MY 2009. Cobalt will be in it's fifth model year when it's replaced in MY 2010.

Was sacrificing their reputation for outstanding reliability worth it to reach #1?

There was actually a recall for those cables I think. I don't remember exactly, but I think my avalanche has metal supports in place of cables.

Don't let her sit on the tailgate of a Tundra!!!!!!

For those of us who work in real estate, when we hear that question it feels like we're wearing night vision goggles and standing on the prow of the Titanic while the Captain shouts down "Do you see anything ahead?". We're shouting back, but he can't hear us. Since December 2006, 170 mortgage lenders have shut down. The job loss involved in that is simply staggering. Many of these companies have anywhere between 100-500 employees, some are much larger. Assuming 300 as an average, that would mean at least 51,000 people have lost their jobs since December 2006. If GM or Ford fired 51,000 people it would be front page of the New York Times, but because the losses are spread over 170 companies no one notices that they're all in the same industry. Here in Pittsburgh, the real estate market never had a "bubble". Market values remained steady and quite low throughout the time the bubble was inflating elsewhere. Over the past six months the market for $200k plus homes here has completely collapsed. Today there are 9654 single family homes for sale in a county with a population of 1.2 million. That is 1 house for sale for every 124 people in the county. This is the same ratio many "bubble" markets experienced when the bubble first started to pop. Again, we're not talking Southern California or Miami here.... this is Pittsburgh. Now wait till January when many of the adjustable rate mortgages sold in 2003 being to adjust and the people who are just making it suddenly see their payment jump by $300 a month. The foreclosures will start in mid June and hit record levels in late summer early fall. For those that can avoid foreclosure, that $300 per month has to be taken out of the economy. Watch sales of vacations, automobiles, appliances, computers, and home improvement supplies all tank. Imagine how Joe and Jane Suburb are going to feel in October when their McMansion has been foreclosed on, they can't buy that new truck, they couldn't go on that vacation they took every year. By next November it'll all be over but the shouting and who are they going to blame when they go to the polls?

*makes some popcorn*

fixed

"OnStar, how can I help you today Mr. Dowdell?"

A328, C536, C536di, C536xdi, C570v, S736, S746, S744v doesn't quite have the same ring.

I'd like to see something more along the lines of the last Riv updated with Enclave cues and definitely and Enclave interior. The "hips" were already there. edit: Oh yeah! And make it a hardtop. </SixtyEight>

OMG! THat is So Not truE! ABErcromBIe is teh cooliEst. Actually abercrombie is different.... abercrombie stuff looks like I ran over it with the lawn mower before I marked the price up 75%

thegriffon you're only making this harder...

OT: I disagree with the description on this thread. Tundra is changing everything. It's changing everything you knew about Toyota's reputation.

About $79,999 too expensive for me.

Technologically, a diesel hybrid would be better off using Volt like technology. Diesels are at their most efficient when running at a slow, steady RPM rather than the ups and downs daily driving causes. Attach the diesel to a generator and power the wheels with just a huge ass traction motor. Remember, electric motors have 100% of their maximum torque available at 0 RPM. Call it the Escalade EMD.

Of course keeping in perspective that the V6 Camry is only 150lbs less, same with the new Accord... and none of them even come close to 300hp. Simply dropping the 305hp 3.6 litre DI engine in the Malibu will still take any other family sedan out there.

The same reason someone will complain about anything GM ever does. GM could make a fully functional model of Christ himself and people would *still* complain that the water to wine function only dispenses merlot.

Some of the comments in that forum amuse me. If it's so perfect, why would you have to use the utility trailer? Well... yeah... plywood is stronger than balsa.. ORLY!? Did we hear about this when the new F-150 came out? Are we hearing about this with the new Silverado? Don't count on it bub.

if you're going to take the pics, take out the "thanks for stopping by" floormats before you take the shot

If it ain't Boeing, I ain't going.

I can say that having only 4-cylinders is not going to prevent 20kph over the speed limit runs.

Turn-by-turn is tied to OnStar's directions and connections service. So not only do you have directions that are constantly updated <what built in NAV does that?>, you also have concierge service. So not only can you get directions to that hot new Italian restaurant that you can't quite remember the name of, Onstar will make reservations for you. Try that in your NAV that you haven't bothered to pay for updates on in 3 years. But... Ooo look... pretty screen. Turn-by-turn + iPod input jack + ipod + $1500 cash in my pocket FTW.

I was planning on submitting the panorama shot from our meetup in August.

I can't even fill up the Avalanche from empty anymore. PNC will only authorize $75 at a time when I pay at the pump.

Did we submit pictures already?