Drew Dowdell

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?

The Koreans still don't have their business model right. They're operating under the method of "build the car and let marketing figure out how to sell it" Not gonna work. Chrysler tried that one already. Honda seems to be the most conservative and steady of them all. Their biggest flubs still turn out ok...even when we're laughing at them. I mean really, none of us here like the Ridgeline or the Tundra.... but which screwup is going to hurt the respective company more?

Lexus engines are wrapped in enough sound insulation to make the Pink Panther jealous. Throw in motor mounts made of marshmellows <or active motor mounts> and yea... it'll be smoother. Guess what, the 3800 in the Lucerne is smooth and quiet to drive too and LeSabres and Bonnevilles were some of the first cars that came with an interlock so that you couldn't engage the starter while the engine was running because so many people couldn't tell when it was on.

The think I liked most about the Super 8 was the "skew view" wrap around windshield

BMW or Benz doing the FWD version? Chrysler doing the FWD version? Good lord no.... Might as well give the project to Ford

Isn't something like 90% of this 2mode hybrid transmission the same as the 2 mod that will go into the FWD version?

Toyota and Honda recalls are secret

Squirl-owned!

What do any of the alternatives do really well other than wear an H or T badge?

I look forward to seeing conquest rates for the CTS next may.

I'm sure... but they don't seem to last very long.

I know we've all ragged on GM for producing some particularly &#036;h&#33;ty commercials. But I was poking around on YouTube and I found some really good ones that I'd never seen before. GM's commercials aren't all that bad actually, they just get so little run time that even us enthusiasts can miss them. Some of the ones that I like: The Sibling rivalry series for the Cobalt: Chevy Impala *poorly executed, but the idea was there.Buick Lucerne: Drive Beautiful Enclave: Drive Beautiful *somewhat telling that I cannot find a Lacross commercial* Cadillac Cadillac STS: "Assume Nothing" All of these are great ads, but only the Lucerne, Enclave and Kate Walsh ad have I ever seen on TV. Why aren't these run more?

"WTF? How do I get Cheers & Gears on this thing again?!?"

Kinda like a "Then and Now" video for your desktop

Someone get Uncle Bob a sudafed and an allegra.... poor guy sounds so sniffly and stuffed up. Other than that, great presentation

I guess you didn't catch that my "plan" leaves Chrysler with the T&C and 300c, Dodge with Magnum/Charger, Ram, and Caravan, and Jeep with the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee. Those are the only models Chrysler hasn't managed to F up.

There is going to come a point where the auto manufacturers realize that they have to offer a manual simply to keep the auto rags happy. Even if they only make 5 of them and put them in press cars, the good press would be enough to generate sales of even the automatics.

I know... I'm just preemptively shooting down the "OMG@!! The Malibu is teh suxors cause no NAV" posts.

32mph in electric only mode?! Why is this not advertised more? I think the Toyota version stops electric-only mode at 25mph

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.