Drew Dowdell

Toyota recalling 471,827 vehicles in Japan Link to Autoblog You know what happens when it rains: it pours. Right on the heels of Toyota taking a minor beating at the hands of Consumer Reports while claiming it carries nary a scratch, the Japanese automaker is recalling eight passenger car models made as far back as September 1999 for various faults. Some of the cars need parts swapped out in the fuel control system and pipes, some have malfunctioning fuel pumps, and some have steering systems with defective components. In Japan, the recall amounts to 471,827 cars, with another 680 cars sent to five export countries that needed to be fixed. Toyota was given an official reprimand last year by the transport ministry when Japanese police accused the car maker of knowingly ignoring a problem in one of its SUVs. In light of its well publicized recalls on this side of the Pacific, it's no surprise why the company has also been working to publicize its efforts to restore the reputation that helped get it where it is today.

Is it Cadillac's sizing that is wrong or Cadillac's pricing that is wrong? BMW has already proven that you can ask $42k for a 230hp AWD midsize car with "leatherette". Cadillac is probably leaving money on the table.

Oh for f@#k sake! The TL has the TSX under it, A4 has A3, G35 is on the small end of the midsize scale and the coupe is listed as a compact. You wouldn't compare the Lucerne to the 3 series even though they share a similar price range, why does the CTS get lumped in with the 3-series when it's dimensions and equipment meet or exceed the 5-series for most of the model range? The CTS is only a 3-series competitor because the 5er is so f@#king expensive. If Cadillac priced the CTS in alignment with the 5-series and equipped it with those 20-way power seats which are such a deal breaker for some, you'd be screaming bloody murder! Cadillac can't win with you people because you sneer at them for offering a 5er at 3er price or you sneer at them when their car priced the same as a 3er doesn't handle as well as the BMW because it's the size of a 5er. Jesus tap dancing christ what do you want from them?!

I'll see what I can do after I get my pony.

No the STS is NOT the car to go up against the 5-series. The CTS matches the 5-series in just about every dimension. The CTS is not entry level, it's just the least expensive Cadillac. Cadillac does not have an entry level model... something that will be remedied by the Alpha. The reason there was no V8 model there is because it's not out yet. CTS production just started. There is nothing wrong with the CTS's interior. It is every bit competitive with the 5er. I've sat in an '08 CTS also and I ride in a 5-series every tuesday on my way to work. Your hatred for anything pushrod gets automatically written off BTW. I've driven a V and the engine was perfect.

Why do you keep saying that the CTS does not have a V8? The CTS in fact famously has a V8. I like how you cherry picked your comparisons between the CTS and the 5er. Base price for the 535xi is 51k. The absolute top of the CTS line I can build on Cars Direct is 47.5k. However you can get a CTS 3.6DI AWD for about 34k msrp. This is interesting because a 528xi is a full $8k more and would get positively spanked by the Caddy in terms of performance. Again interestingly, the only way to get the 20-way power seats is to select options that push the 535xi over the $55k mark. In fact, in order to match the most loaded CTS V6 in price you have to opt for the 528xi with no leather <leatherette is not leather>, no Nav, 230hp, base stereo, no heated seats, 17 inch wheels <CTS comes with 18s at this price>, No satellite radio, No DVD entertainment system.... All that for $47.5k and it'd still get spanked by the better performing, better equipped CTS at the same price. The moment you pass the $51k mark at BMW I'm into CTS-V category. Bringing a 535i up against the CTS-V is like bringing a pistol to a tank fight. But I'm sure that blue and white rondel on the hood makes the car feel more luxurious.

The point is, we're still over 2 years out and this announcement just shows progress towards the goal. No one here was claiming that these were the batteries that the Volt was going to use. Edit: Indeed the Volt has created a race among battery manufacturers to get their products to market.

Chrysler should cut the PT Cruiser, Sebring, 300 models other than the C, Aspen, Crossfire and Pacifica. Dodge should cut the Caliber, Avenger, non 5.7 Magnum and Chargers, Durango, Dakota, Nitro, Sprinter and should redesign the Ram. Jeep should cut the Compass, Liberty, Patriot and Commander That will leave them with just their competitive vehicles.

Clearly what your garage is missing is a 1966 Toronado Deluxe in black...... that's the only glaring omission.

Ya know, it's a lot easier to put these penis waving transmissions when you can charge 15k more for them. The new CTS is so close to the 5-series at this point saving that amount of money on just a transmission makes it a huge bargain.

These 7 and 8 speeds don't add gears much over the existing overdrive ratios. It just adds more gears between 1st and top gear.

Not that I don't believe you.... but what examples do you have?

Which really makes me continue to wonder about the results. I mean really are there any common problems with any of the GMT-900s or 800s? The EXT is an extremely low volume vehicle for GM. There is nothing significantly different between an EXT and a regular Escalade or Avalanche yet neither are reporting problems like that.

Prada, gray, all you....

Just for that.... I'm gonna cause a server error!

Why don't you and I take a walk over to Prada to get you a new pair of shoes.

Sheesh.... all this focus on the pony. I did demand a Toronado Caliente also..... Focus Concentrate people!

Interestingly, Scion's sales still plummeted in September

In a press release today Toyota Executives are jubilant about "Best Month Ever"™ movement in their reliability rankings when calculated using absolute value.

I just saw the Altima coupe from behind for the first time today. GAHH it was ugly. The side and front profiles are nice, but that tail end from straight on is hideous!

Societal and Family pressures. I'd guess that most of them know it by their 20s. They usually just aren't willing to admit it. Big difference.

5-series also costs a good 10k-15k more. This will only worsen as the dollar falls.

The only way you *really* need and 8 speed is if you're adding a gear ratio on either end of the spectrum. If you're taking the same spectrum of gear ratios and just slicing it up more frequently, you're not really improving much. If GM does an 8 speed, I'd really like to see them keep the first 6 gears the same as they are now, but label 6th as low overdrive, 7th as medium overdrive, and 8th as high overdrive. Most of GM's engines are good for low rpm torque, so having a 3.6 liter V6 cruise along at 80mph turning 1500rpm would be pretty sweet.

The Cobalt, W-bodies, and G-bodies were too far along or too old to get the 6-speed..... and let's be realistic here, does anyone really think that putting a 6-speed in the Grand Prix, LaCross, Impala, Lucerne or DTS would have improved sales? Lucerne is already outselling everything in it's class except the 300, would putting a 6-speed in there mean that it outsells the 300? No, as long as GM continues to put the new transmissions into it's new models, I have no problem with the method of their rollouts. All of the models that currently have only a 4-speed available are due to be replaced in the next 2.5 years. Then you can start harping on GM for still offering "only" 5 speeds. As for them doing something special... they've put a 6-speed auto in a mid priced family car and have it NOT cough up two of it's gears. That is "Moving Forward"

It's actually fairly simple. You're told your entire life that you are heterosexual. Think of all the "icons" of your childhood. Kermit and Miss Piggy, Barbie and Ken, any Disney movie..... Homosexuality is usually covered up and hidden from kids. It takes people so long because they don't understand why the feelings they are told are "right" don't feel "right" to them. I was very very sheltered as a kid. I really didn't know what "gay" was except that it meant a guy who liked to dress in women's clothing. It was a trip to London and meeting "normal" gay people when I was 17 that opened my eyes. Once I knew what "gay" was... I knew I was gay.