Drew Dowdell

I have to give it to Buick..... it takes balls to say "The finest luxury crossover E.V.A.R"

woah, that opening shot is HOT

Balthy, that assumes that the domestics end up offering no more than what's on the table today. I could see a 300/Charger hybrid using the GM/DCX two-mode system. I could see a Taurus hybrid <in fact I almost expect one> I could see a Zeta Impala hybrid using the GM/DCX two-mode

I think he must not like his mother in law.

now would be a great time for Ford to announce a hybrid Taurus....

NEW YORK — The city's yellow taxi fleet will go entirely hybrid within five years, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Tuesday. Link to Newsvine Nearly 400 fuel-efficient hybrids have been tested in the city's taxi fleet over the past 18 months, with models including the Toyota Prius, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid, the Lexus RX 400h and the Ford Escape. Under Bloomberg's plan, that number will increase to 1,000 by October 2008, then will grow by about 20 percent each year until 2012, when every yellow cab — currently numbering 13,000 — will be a hybrid.

While I expect the Astra to cost more than an Ion, I don't think you'd be looking at A4 money. It really comes down with your priorities. If you're looking for lowest cost, go with Aveo hatch. Most bang for your buck, go with Vibe. Most bang for your buck in a semi-premium package, go with Astra. If you can spend a little more coin, Carsdirect.com is suggesting that a Saab 9-3 wagon with 5-speed auto and 2.0 litre can be had for around 25k.

Sorry guys, I've been reading this for a while now. I thought you knew about it.

Minuscule cases?!? Bullet proof prodcuts?! Toyota's major sludge problems? Honda Oddessys, Acura TLs, and Honda Accords with transmission failure rates that would make a Chrysler blush? 4Runners with wheels that fall off? Toyota disabling the passenger airbag in their trucks because they don't wish to conform to US safety standards? Do I need to remind you that in 2006 Toyota recalled more vehicles in the US than they SOLD in all of 2006? And before you bring up any issue with any domestic.... you're the one who said Toyota and Honda make bullet proof products when they clearly don't. Minuscule indeed.... Bullet proof indeed.....

All of those GM and Ford problems are well known.... CR and the rest of the mainstream media has made sure of that. Who, outside of the fanboys, knows about the Toyota sludge and Honda transmission problems? THAT is where my issue is.... it never gets published.

would ya'll quit gawkin at my car!?!

That's what the HHR turbo is for....

Oh this should be good..... I've always been curious why Toyota's sludge problems and Honda's automatic transmission problems seem to go unreported by CR.

Yes, that's the little wagon. Cobalt wagon = HHR.

Aveo hatch?

I have a few points to make. 1. a Solstice owner will get 900% more nooky from owning a Solstice than an S2000 owner. 2. A Corolla owner has a 273% greater chance of crashing into Fly than a Cobalt owner. 3. Sienna's average selling price is 75% higher than Uplander's. 4. Highlander and SRX aren't even in the same league... and I want a link to that SRX number, the entire Sigma platform is know for being pretty reliable.

didn't we already have our first named storm?

that's why I used the original Saturn tag line.... I've always felt that would have been a much better role Plymouth than just being a simple Dodge/Chrysler rebadge. In my world, Dodge would never have had the Neon, that would have been a Plymouth thing

One can drive 700 miles on a single tank of diesel in a Jetta TDI. That's across the entire state of Pennsylvania and back. If you can't find a diesel station in that amount of time, then yea, you'd have a valid point. Secondly, I don't even own an E85 capable vehicle, yet I know where all the E85 stations in town are for when I do buy an E85 vehicle. It's a lifestyle choice. Someone who wants a diesel will learn who in their area carries it and who doesn't. Thirdly, you're right, you should compare similarly powerful engines. Compare Cadillac's new 2.8 turbo diesel in Europe to the current 3.6 and get back to us.

Note to reviewers: Are there other 8 passenger vehicles out there that can do it better? If not, stop compairing it to a 3-series

I have this vision of a new kind of car, a new kind of company. The cars would be smaller and economical to own yet compete with the best of the economy imports. They would be sold by friendly, no pressure sales people in attractive new facilities. There would be no haggling on price. There would be a small coupe, sedan and wagon, a midsize sedan, a small SUV, a minivan, and a fun 2 seat convertible. They would be called Plymouth! Neon Neon Coupe PT Cruiser Breeze Duster <small SUV not based on anything currently available> Voyager Pronto Spyder

I hated them simply for looking like they came out of a Celica or Mazda. To me it screamed "sell out" or "if you can't beat'em join'em" The wheel of my CTS isn't bad... it isn't great either, but not bad. It looks better than the STS wheel simply because it has a texture to it. And it has the best feature of all.... the volume wheel. I know the next CTS doesn't have it... but GM really had something there.

The average American motorist is driving substantially fewer miles for the first time in 26 years Link to USA Today article because of high gas prices and demographic shifts, according to a USA TODAY analysis of federal highway data. The growth in miles driven has leveled off dramatically in the past 18 months after 25 years of steady climbs despite the addition of more than 1 million drivers to the nation's streets and highways since 2005. Miles driven in February declined 1.9% from February 2006 before rebounding slightly for a 0.3% year-over-year gain in March, data from the Federal Highway Administration show. That's in sharp contrast to the average annual growth rate of 2.7% recorded from 1980 through 2005.

Finally, a GM steering wheel that doesn't make me want to barf all over the airbag or make me think they stole it out of a Celica.

whatever mixes best with gin....